Angela M. Belcher, Ph.D. Germeshausen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Biological Engineering Research group web site Email: belcher@mit.edu Office: 16-244 Phone: (617) 252-1163 Address: 4-140 Administrative Assistant: Michelle Barron
Honors, Awards & Degress
2004	MacArthur Fellowship
2002	World Technology Award
2001	Packard Foundation Fellow
2001	Harvard U Wilson Prize in Chemistry
2001	Harrington Faculty Fellow
2001	Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow
2000	Presidential Early Career Award
2000	IBM Faculty Partnership Award
2000	Beckman Young Investigator Award
1999	Du Pont Young Investigators Award
1999	Army Young Investigator Award
1997 - 99	Postdoctoral Fellow, U California - Santa Barbara
1997	PhD, U California - Santa Barbara
1991	BS, U California - Santa Barbara

Research Focus

Biomaterials, biomolecular materials and organic-inorganic interfaces

The focus of our research is understanding and using the process by which Nature makes materials in order to design new hybrid organic-inorganic materials. Our research is very interdisciplinary in nature and brings together the fields of inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and electrical engineering. The current research topics in our research lab include 1) biomimetic synthesis of non biological inorganic phases with novel electronic and magnetic properties directed by proteins and synthetic analogs, 2) synthesis and self-assembly of smart polymers to pattern size restricted metals and semiconductors to make devices with novel electronic and optical properties on length scales that surpass current lithographic capabilities, 3) design and synthesis of biocomposite materials that show exceptional strength and regularity and 4) surface modification of high surface area inorganic phases applied to high surface area catalysts, biosensors and environmental remediation.

Representative Publications

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Ordering of Quantum Dots Using Genetically Engineered Viruses, Seung-Wuk Lee, Chuanbin Mao, Christine E. Flynn, and Angela M. Belcher
Science 2002 May 3; 296: 892-895. (in Reports)

Selection of peptides with semiconductor binding specificity for directed nanoparticle assembly, 2000, Nature. 405 665-668.

Molecular mechanistic origin of the toughness of natural adhesives, fibres and composites, 1999, Nature 399 N6738:761-763.

Control of crystal phase-switching and orientation by soluble shell proteins, 1996, Nature381, 56-58.