My research focuses on the development of synthetic nanoparticles with stimuli-responsive properties and intrinsic affinity against target biomacromolecules.Antibodies have been the 'gold standard' affinity reagents for detection and selective isolation of target biomacromolecules. Antibodies are also becoming an increasingly important class of pharmaceuticals. Examples of 'block buster' antibody-drugs include Humira, Remicade, Herceptin, and Avastin. HOWEVER, antibodies are NOT WITHOUT disadvantages. Their limited stability and high production costs are generally considered as drawbacks. Thus, there is significant interest in developing robust and inexpensive alternatives to antibodies.The approach that I have employed to tackle this important but challenging problem of biomacromolecule affinity, is to design polymer-based nanoparticles by incorporating optimized combinations and ratios of functional groups that are complementary to the functional groups on the surface of target biomacromolecules [1,2].Additionally, we have developed a new class of materials that can reversibly 'catch-and-release' target biomacromoelcues in response to external stimuli. This is achieved through incorporating stimuli-responsive functional groups (e.g. thermally-responsive N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm)) into the materials [1]. The developed nanoparticles are shown to selectively capture a target protein even in a complex protein mixture and also readily release their 'cargo' in response to physical stimuli. We envision that our material design concept can be used to create innovative materials with unique properties for a wide range of applications.[1] Yoshimatsu, K. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012  , 51, 2405-2408[2] Yoshimatsu, K. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014  , 136, 1194-1197 

Stimuli-responsive polymer-based nanoparticles for selective and reversible "catch-and-release" of proteins

248th National Meeting (2014)

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