Research InterestsThe Kiick group investigates the synthesis, characterization, and application of biologically inspired and biologically produced materials. We are exploring the uses of protein- and peptide-based materials, bio-inorganic composites, and self-assembled networks in a variety of diverse applications such as toxin neutralization, viral inhibition, control of cellular responses, drug delivery, light-emitting films, and biomineralization. These projects exploit the control of polymer architecture afforded by protein engineering methods to permit synthesis of advanced materials for specific applications, and they employ a varied combination of materials synthesis and characterization methods. Protein engineering strategies are used to produce designed protein materials, biochemical methods are employed for protein purification, and chemical methods are used to modify the proteins with appropriate ligands. Immunochemical assays, scattering methods, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and cell culture are also utilized as appropriate to characterize these polymeric systems. We anticipate that the production of these unique macromolecular systems will expedite the development of new biomaterials and therapeutic strategies.
Techniques that will be utilized in these project areas:
- Recombinant DNA technology: gene design and construction, cloning methods, PCR, DNA sequencing, electrophoresis
- Protein engineering: protein design, bacterial expression systems, fermentation, incorporation of non-natural amino acids, FPLC, electrophoresis, Western blotting, NMR, circular dichroism
- Cell culture
- Optical and confocal microscopy
- General organic synthetic strategies
- Rheological methods
- Radiolabeling
- Surface analysis/characterization of self-assembly
|
|
Office: 212 DuPont Hall Phone: 302-831-0201 Fax: 302-831-4545 Email: kiick@udel.edu
|
