Peter Kofinas
Current Research Projects
Lab Website: fml.umd.eduBiomimetic Recognition of Viruses Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers
The separation of viruses and virus-like particles from various media represents an enormous challenge to the fields of medicine, healthcare, and biotechnology. The separation of viruses from blood and bodily fluids, for example, is a critical but tedious task in the diagnosis and treatment of numerous ailments. In addition, the separation of virus-like particles from cell culture media and cell debris is an extremely inefficient process that results in increased development times for vaccines, medical diagnostics, and gene therapy treatments. This research using aqueous molecular imprinting technology can be used to develop a device that will provide a low-cost, rapid solution for the problems associated with separating large amounts of viruses and virus-like particles from any medium.
We are custom-synthesizing 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional (molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), which are created by trapping viruses within a crosslinked polymer matrix. The virus can be subsequently removed, leaving cavities possessing size and shape that are complementary to the virus. The end product is a material that exhibits high affinity for rebinding the virus of interest. This material can easily be synthesized using virus-like particles, which are non-infectious, non-hazardous analogues of wild-type viruses, without compromising recognition or selectivity, and can be easily incorporated into a device that is compatible with many existing separation systems such as dialysis machines, medical diagnostic systems, and chromatographic systems. A virus MIP can also be used as a virus filter, virus mask, or virus sensor.
In addition to hydrogels which can selectively recognize viruses, hydrogels are also developed to recognize peptides, proteins, and larger macromolecular complexes. Synthesis conditions functionality can be tailored to achieve bioinspired materials which exhibit the highest affinity for their respective template molecule. The methodologies developed for the synthesis of MIPs thus offer exciting avenues for the development of novel biorecognition techniques for human health and bioterrorism protection technologies.
Protein and Virus Recognition Using Block Copolymer Patterns
This research project uses a Nickel-functionalized amphiphilic block copolymer patterns to separate and collect proteins and viruses. Block copolymers can provide flexible transparent functional nanoscale devices with non-lithographic nanoscale patterns which could be made compatible with biologically active molecules.
The ability to immobilize proteins to nanometer sized areas has become a major challenge for the development of bioengineered surfaces. Nanopatterned surfaces are known to influence cell function through surface-triggered interactions. The ability to vary the topology and separation between nanopatterned recombinant proteins on the surface of a block copolymer may lead to better understanding of cellular signaling. Production of arrays of single nanoreactors in microfluidic devices for applications such as combinatorial chemistry for drug discovery, high throughput analysis in genomics and proteomics, etc depends on the development of apropriate nanoscale patterns such as those present by the self-assembly of block copolymers. The selective capture of recombinant proteins and viruses is facilitated by the fusion of affinity tags, such as polyhistidine to the termini of target proteins. These histidine tags can be employed to selectively recover and purify proteins and viruses on the nanopatterned polymer surface. Independent of the technique used to create the biomolecular nanostructured pattern on the block copolymer, a critical requirement is the ability to avoid nonspecific binding of the nanopatterned recombinant proteins. The histidine – Nickel interaction on the block copolymer surface presented in this research provides a platform for the creation of nanopatterns exhibiting specificity in their recombinant protein and virus interaction.
Functional Nanostructures of Mixed Metal Oxides Within Block Copolymer Templates
The overall goal of this research is the development of functional nanostructures with unique magnetodielectric properties, which are not available in the bulk. Applications of this research is sought in antennas communications, computer hardware and magnetic storage systems. The primary objective is to incorporate metal oxide nanoclusters into the self - assembled nanodomains of block copolymer templates, and to fabricate functional nanostructures exhibiting improved magnetic and radio frequency properties.
Polymer Nanoarchitectures for Flexible, High Energy Density Capacitors and Batteries with Application in Medical Devices and Homeland Security
In recent years, the interest in polymeric batteries has increased
dramatically. With the advent of lithium batteries being used in cell
phones and laptop computers, the search for an all solid state battery
has continued. Current configurations have a liquid or gel electrolyte
along with a separator between the anode and cathode. This leads to
problems with electrolyte loss and decreased performance over time. The
highly reactive nature of these electrolytes necessitate the use of
protective enclosures which add to the size and bulk of the battery.
Polymer electrolytes are more compliant than conventional inorganic glass
or ceramic electrolytes. The goal of this research is to develop novel nanoscale polymer electrolyte flexible thin films based on the self-assembly of block copolymers for pulsed power capacitor and battery applications.
The ease of processing a polymer electrolyte using alternative non-solvent techniques would allow for the mass production of thin film nanoscale self-assembled flexible batteries that could be wound into coils or processed as coatings and sheets. A solid polymer electrolyte based on the nanoscale self-assembly of block copolymers will provide for devices with integrated electronics and yet be distributed over a large area substrate as freestanding flexible films or coatings. The active circuit components would be directly integrated on the
flexible substrate. The substitution of current corrosive electrolytes would greatly augment the safety aspects of the battery or capacitor and would outmode the need for bulky protective casings. Such a light weight, shape versatile polymer electrolyte based battery system could find wide spread application as energy sources in miniature medical devices like pacemakers, wireless endoscopes, implantable pumps, treatment probes and untethered robotic mobile manipulators. Such flexible systems could also be applied in power conditioning for directed energy weapon components and thus promise to open new avenues for autonomous power of the ``all electric'' ships or airplanes and thus helping enhance homeland security capabilities.
