Prof. Liu's research focuses on developing protein-based biomaterials for application in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and surgical glues. One area of investigation is in designing biomaterials from recombinant proteins. Recombinant proteins have molecular-level control over amino acid sequence, a property that dictates the subsequent structure and function. To fully utilize the potential of these biomaterials, her work focuses on establishing key sequence-structure-function relationships between protein design and the resulting material properties. Another area of investigation is the use of natural proteins, such as collagen, and other important matrix molecules, such as hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate. In addition to being biomimetic, these materials contain important biological cues that govern cell response. Overall, the Liu group utilizes both recombinant proteins and natural matrix molecules to design materials with specific performance capabilities for cartilage engineering, in vitro tissue models for drug testing, and biomedical adhesives.

A. Tadikonda, S. Anekal, L.W. Chen, G. Sobczak, P. Finnegan, T. Wesson, M.A. Egan, J.C. Liu, and S. Halum, “Novel Biomolecule-Infused Gelatin Injectable for Treatment of Recurrent laryngeal Nerve Injury,” Laryngoscope (2025), in press.

C.M. Battistoni, J.M. Briones, D.K. Brubaker, A. Panitch, and J.C. Liu, “Chondrogenic and Chondroprotective Response of Composite Collagen I/II-Hyaluronic Acid Scaffolds Within an Inflammatory Osteoarthritic Environment,” Biomaterials Science, 13, 3252-3263 (2025).

P.M. Babiak^†, C.M. Battistoni^†, L. Cahya, R. Athreya, J. Minnich II, A. Panitch^#, and J.C. Liu^#, “Tunable Blended Collagen I/II and Collagen I/III Hydrogels as Tissue Mimics,” Macromolecular Bioscience, 24, 2400280 (2024). ^†co-first authors, ^#co-senior authors.

A.V. Menon^†, A.A. Putnam-Neeb^†, C.E. Brown^†, C.J. Crain, G.J. Breur, S.K. Narayanan, J.J. Wilker^#, and J.C. Liu^#, “Biocompatibility of Mussel-Inspired Water-Soluble Tissue Adhesives,” Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 112, 2243-2256 (2024). ^†co-first authors, ^#co-senior authors.

M. Nguyen, C.M. Battistoni, P.M. Babiak, J.C. Liu^†, and A. Panitch^†, “Chondroitin Sulfate/Hyaluronic Acid Blended Hydrogels Suppress Chondrocyte Inflammation under Pro-inflammatory Conditions,” ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 10, 3242-3254 (2024). ^†co-senior authors.

J.E. Torres and J.C. Liu, “Enhancing Chemical Engineering Identity in Young Women with a Low-Cost Biomedical Polymer Outreach Activity,” Chemical Engineering Education, 58, 65-72 (2024).

J.E. Torres, F. Meng, S. Bhattacharya, K.P. Buno, A. Ahmadzadegan, S. Madduri, P.M. Babiak, P.P. Vlachos, L. Solorio, Y. Yeo, J.C. Liu, “Interpenetrating Networks of Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid That Serve as In VitroTissue Models for Assessing Macromolecular Transport,” Biomacromolecules 24, 4718-4730 (2023).

M.H. Hakim, B.H. Jun, A. Ahmadzadegan, P.M. Babiak, Q. Xu, K.P. Buno, J.C. Liu, A.M. Ardekani, P.P. Vlachos, L. Solorio, “Investigation of Macromolecular Transport Through Tunable Collagen Hyaluronic Acid Matrices,” Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 222, 113123 (2023).