Nanotechnology
Nanostructured materials represent the one of the five technological pillars of the Biointerfaces Institute. The focus of this work is on simulating nanomaterial self-assembly and developing the different kinds of nanotubes, nanoprobes, nanocatalysts and nanostructures for applications in medicine, energy conversion, and electronics.
Biointerfaces Institute researchers use nanostructured materials in drug delivery, neural interface, rare cell detection, different imaging modalities, and microfluidics organ replicas. Research groups from UM Medical School or Biomedical Engineering department focusing on the end-use therapeutics or diagnostics utilize nanoparticles developed by BI research groups specializing in particle synthesis. Some of the nanomaterials that developed in BI are unique to UM. They include “janus” biodegradable nanoparticles, iron sulfide (FeS2) nanoparticles, aramid nanofibers (ANFs), and biomimetic composites. Examples of ongoing projects taking advantage of unique properties of nanomaterials developed at the Biointerface Institute include selective targeting of breast cancer cells, long-term implants for brain recording, artificial bone marrow, single cell metabolism monitoring with SERS-active nanoparticle assemblies, and others.
Basic research on nanomaterials that is expected to advance the field of biointerfaces in the next 5-10 years includes replication of protein functions by inorganic nanostructures, theory and practice of nanoparticle self-organization phenomena, DNA mechanics, high-speed computer simulations of nanoparticle dynamics, membrane-particle interactions, and wetting at nanoscale interfaces. Considerable effort is also invested in understanding the challenges for scaled up manufacturing nanoscale materials and devices by bridging nanotechnologies with different types of high-throughput lithography and microelectromechanical devices.
Surface Corrugation offers important parameters to design physico-chemical properties of particles. The 'Hedgehog' particles are constructed by hydrothermal and sonochemical growth of ZnO nanowires on arbitrary microspheres.
The micron scale ovals, constructed by self-assembly of CdTe nanoparticles, are buried under layers of graphene oxide sheets. This image depicts a handful of buried eggs ready to hatch.
Related Press Releases & Articles
- September 8, 2021 / Award
Nick Kotov wins Nanoscale Science Award
Congratulations to Nick Kotov on winning the 2022 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum Award from AIChE for his discovery of chiral nanostructures with large amplitude optical activity and establishing chemical principles for their engineering.
- July 22, 2021 / Press Release
BioInnovations in Brain Cancer launches faculty search
The BioInnovations in Brain Cancer Initiative (BIBC) at the University of Michigan invites applications for a tenure-track position at any level in brain cancer biology and technology research (including, drug/molecular transport/imaging in the brain tissue; translation-focused glioma, epigenetics and/or scRNA-seq research; and non-viral nucleic acid delivery).
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, but review of applications will begin on October 1, 2021.
- May 21, 2021 / Press Release
Faculty Promotions
Congratulations to James Moon, Sunitha Nagrath, Anna Schwendeman and Anish Tuteja on being promoted to Professor!
- May 17, 2021 / Award
2021 BI Innovator Awardees
Congratulations to the 2020 BI Innovator Award Recipients. BI Innovator awards recognize members of the BI research community who are active participants in the research, innovation and translational ecosystem at BI and making a difference in our community.
- April 1, 2021 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in March
- March 17, 2021 / Article
Kotov Lab develops structural batteries for mobile robots
Researchers in the Kotov lab are working on biomorphic structural batteries which could provide more energy to robots.
- March 1, 2021 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in February
- February 1, 2021 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in January
- January 1, 2021 / Article
Anna Schwendeman Promoted
Congratulations to Anna Schwendeman on being named the William I. Higuchi Collegiate Professor of Pharmacy!
- December 9, 2020 / Award
Nick Kotov Elected to National Academy of Inventors
Professor Nick Kotov was elected to the 2020 Class of Fellows by the National Academy of Inventors
- December 1, 2020 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in November
- October 30, 2020 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in October
- October 12, 2020 / Award
Kotov Recipient of Alpha Chi Sigma Award
For his work in self-assembly processes at the nanoscale, Nick Kotov received the 2020 Alpha Chi Sigma Award.
- September 30, 2020 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in September
- July 31, 2020 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in July
- June 30, 2020 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in June
- June 12, 2020 / Article
How Rod Shaped Particles Might Distract Neutrophils
Lola Eniola-Adefeso reports on the effect on the rod-shaped particles on neutrophils and their impact on targeting COVID-19
- May 29, 2020 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in May
- April 30, 2020 / Article
Recent BI Publications
Publications from BI Research Groups in April
- April 13, 2020 / Article
Kotov Lab publishes findings on complex nanoparticle assemblies in Science
Research from the Kotov group on complex nanoparticle assemblies and their chemical and chiroptical properties was published in Science. The article is entitled “Emergence of Complexity in Hierarchically Organized Chiral Particles.”
Our Nanotechnology Researchers
Nanotechnology Publications
Advanced Materials and Drug Delivery
Learn MoreBioInnovations in Brain Cancer
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Michael Solomon
Dean of Rackham School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs - Graduate Studies; Professor of Chemical Engineering and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Research Focus: Nanotechnology Contact Information:mjsolo@umich.eduThe Solomon Group research interests are in the area of soft matter – materials with properties intermediate between fluids and solids. The Solomon group has developed and applied 3D confocal microscopy, rheological, and light scattering methods to study the soft matter phenomena of self-assembly, gelation, and the biomechanics of bacterial biofilms.
Somin Eunice Lee
Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Research Focus: Nanotechnology Contact Information:sleee@umich.eduDr. Lee and the Bioplasmonics Group focuses on advancing innovations utilizing nanoscale-dependent properties to enable unique spatial and temporal capabilities needed for quantification in bioscience and medicine. Areas of expertise include plasmonics, nanophotonics, and bionanotechnologies.
Nicholas Kotov
Irving Langmuir Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering; Joseph B. and Florence V. Cejka Professor of Engineering; Professor of Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Research Focus: Single Cell Technologies, Nanotechnology Contact Information:kotov@umich.eduResearch in the Kotov Group focuses on self-organization of nanocolloids, layer-by-layer assembly, ultrastrong nanocomposites, tissue engineering with nanomaterials, nanoscale drugs, and implantable biomedical devices.
Ron Larson
A. H. White Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Engineering; George Granger Brown Professor of Chemical Engineering; Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Research Focus: Nanotechnology Contact Information:rlarson@umich.eduThe Larson Group’s research interests include the structure and flow properties of viscous or elastic fluids, sometimes called “complex fluids,” which include polymers, colloids, surfactant-containing fluids, liquid crystals, and biological macromolecules such as DNA, proteins, and lipid membranes. The Larson group applies these concepts to drug release materials, coating materials, personal care products, and other applications of advanced materials.
Sharon Glotzer
Anthony C. Lembke Department Chair of Chemical Engineering; John Werner Cahn Distinguished University Professor of Engineering; Stuart W. Churchill Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering; Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Macromolecular Science and Engineering, and Physics Research Focus: Nanotechnology Contact Information:sglotzer@umich.eduGlotzer’s research on computational assembly science and engineering aims toward predictive materials design of colloidal and soft matter, with current emphasis on shape, packing, and assembly pathways.
Peter Tessier
Albert M. Mattocks Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Professor of Chemical Engineering Research Focus: BioInnovations in Brain Cancer, Nanotechnology, Advanced Materials and Drug Delivery Contact Information:ptessier@umich.eduThe Tessier lab aims to develop next generation technologies for designing, discovering, engineering, characterizing, formulating and delivering biologics ranging from small affinity peptides to large monoclonal antibodies for molecular imaging, diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Scott VanEpps
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Research Focus: Nanotechnology Contact Information:jvane@umich.eduThe VanEpps laboratory focuses on life-threatening infections, particularly those associated with implanted medical devices. His research addresses the biophysical processes of bacterial cell-cell interaction, bacterial interactions with abiotic surfaces, and biofilm development. The overarching goal of his team is to translate novel technologies aimed at the detection of subclinical medical device related infection, prevention of bacterial adhesion and colonization of devices, and in situ treatment of established biofilms for device salvage strategies.
Colin Greineder
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Research Focus: Nanotechnology Contact Information:coling@umich.eduResearch Interest: Affinity Ligand Drug Targeting
Anna Schwendeman
William I. Higuchi Collegiate Professor of Pharmacy; Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Focus: Nanotechnology, BioInnovations in Brain Cancer Contact Information:annaschw@umich.eduSchwendeman’s principal research interest is to understand how phospholipid composition of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) affects its potency and to design short synthetic peptides that mimic various functions of Apolipoprotein A-I, the main HDL protein. Laboratory work focuses on HDL for treatment of sepsis, Alzheimer’s disease, complications of diabetes, lupus and other autoimmune diseases and using synthetic HDL nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery purposes and designing artificial HDL based on gold nanoparticles.