Molecular Understanding and Design of Zwitterionic Biomaterials for Lubrication, Cartilage Tissue Repair and Drug Delivery Applications

Research in biomaterials has shown significant growth in recent years. Poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) is one of most widely used biomaterials. However, PEG is known to be not suitable for long-term applications since it is subject to oxidation. My proposed research will take a different approach by focusing on developing zwitterionic polymer based biomaterials through a combination of molecular modeling tools and experimental methods. The major goal of my research program is to explore the unique feature of zwitterionic biomaterials and to apply the underlying design principles to various applications, including lubrication, cartilage tissue repair, and drug delivery.