Direct self-assembly of proteins into nanostructured materials offers the opportunity to develop a wide variety of new biomaterials, where control over the material's nanostructure is critically important to achieving the desired combination of mechanical, transport, and biological properties. Block copolymers provide an elegant path to nanostructured materials; however, the incorporation of functionally folded protein groups fundamentally alters the thermodynamics of their self-assembly. Our research in the biomateirals field focuses on understanding and controlling self-assembly processes when functional proteins are incorporated into biomaterials, elucidating structure-property-processing relationships in these systems that will enable biomadical applications such as tissue engineering.
A portion of this image is adapted from "Handout on Health: Osteoarthritis" published by the NIAMS.