Principal Investigator Paula Hammond
This project focuses on the study of linear-dendritic comb-rod block copolymers and their co-assembly with common biological lipid bilayers. This specific class of copolymer has been shown to self-assemble into vesicular and micellular structures, and we have found that they also co-assemble with lipid bilayers to form hybrid systems. In these systems, the dendritic block may display dense functional groups on a bilayer surface, or the copolymers may mimic protein channels within a cell membrane. Once the basic co-assembly behavior is understood, we hope to functionalize our copolymers to give us control over their function in lipid membranes.