This CAREER proposal aims to develop a new class of peptide-based biomaterials. The peptide-based technology will enable modular design of biomaterials able to form ordered nanoparticle aggregates with multiple functionalities in order to overcome significant barriers to delivery of bioactive molecules. The PI will characterize the structure, charge, and stimuli-responsiveness of the designed nanomaterials and determine the effect of these characteristics on enhancing cell-specific uptake and bioactivity of delivered cargo. The technology will provide a novel biomaterial platform with applications in transporting a variety of nucleic acids used to regulate gene expression. The proposal integrates a comprehensive education plan with a core objective of increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in bioengineering. The education plan will enable early engagement of high school students through hands-on learning modules and engagement of undergraduates through early exposure to bioengineering concepts and laboratory research. The plan includes partnerships with minority-serving institutions to establish a pipeline toward graduate degrees in bioengineering.
PART 2: TECHNICAL SUMMARY
The PI’s long-term research goal is to develop novel bioresponsive nanocarriers through the investigation of modular self-assembled peptides. In pursuit of this goal, the research objective of the proposal is to develop and characterize a novel class of multifunctional peptide-based biomaterials. These nanocarriers will consist of a modular design including various classes of peptides, such as cell penetrating, fusogenic and targeting peptides, each with the ability to overcome a significant barrier to delivery, including insufficient cellular internalization and lack of endosomal escape. The peptide-based nanoparticles will be characterized to determine 1) the bioresponsiveness of the peptide secondary structure in inducing endosomal escape and 2) the size, charge, and serum stability of the nanocomplexes. The modular peptide components will be combined to create a multifunctional nanomaterial that will be evaluated to assess cell-biomaterial interactions, in particular, biocompatibility, cellular uptake, and endosomal activity. The peptide-based technology has applications in delivery of nucleic acid therapies, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). The PI’s long-term educational goal is to increase participation of underrepresented minorities in bioengineering. The proposed educational objectives are to: 1) engage high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in bioengineering research, 2) provide underrepresented minority first-year students early exposure to bioengineering topics, and 3) partner with minority-serving institutions in S.C. to create a pipeline program towards graduate degrees in bioengineering. Outcomes will include leading a team of undergraduates in development of hands-on bioengineering and nanodelivery lab modules that will be implemented in local underserved high schools. Furthermore, undergraduates will be recruited to participate in summer research projects through partnerships with minority-serving institutions in the state to establish a collaborative effort toward enhancing participation of underrepresented students in graduate programs in bioengineering.
This project is jointly funded by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
