Won Laboratory specializes in fundamental polymer science and conducting preclinical proof-of-concept research, with a strong focus on clinical applications of polymeric nanomaterials.

From the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s, the lab’s research primarily revolved around polyelectrolytes, particularly focusing on the charge regulation of weak polyelectrolytes and their uses in gene/siRNA delivery and the manipulation of charged colloids. Won Lab was one of the pioneers in introducing the concept of 'micelleplexes'.

Since the mid-2010s, Won Laboratory has shifted its focus toward projects with a more direct societal impact, while continuing to tackle fundamental scientific challenges. The lab’s current research spans three key areas:

1. Air-water interfacial behavior of block copolymer micelles: Aiming to develop Polymer Lung Surfactant (PLS) therapy as a treatment for respiratory distress syndrome.

2. Radioluminescence Therapy: Advancing proof-of-concept studies for block copolymer-encapsulated radioluminescent nanoparticle formulations designed to enhance the efficacy of cancer radiotherapy.

3. Statistically sequence-controlled aliphatic copolyesters: Investigating materials like uniform poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) to develop next-generation long-acting controlled-release drug formulations.

These research areas highlight Won Lab’s dedication to addressing real-world challenges through cutting-edge scientific advancements, with credit due to the efforts of both current and past group members.

For a complete list of our journal publications, book chapters, and patents, please refer to:
https://engineering.purdue.edu/~yywon
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=xrm0ATF9pvUC&pagesize=80&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate.

Seyoung Kim, Minhwan Lee, Hyun Chang Kim, YongJoo Kim, Won Bo Lee, You-Yeon Won, "Determination of Glass Transition Temperatures in Bulk and Micellar Nanoconfined Polymers by Using Fluorescent Molecular Rotors as Probes for Changes in Free Volume", Macromolecules 56(16), 6290-6304, 2023 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00968).

Daniel J. Fesenmeier, Madathilparambil V. Suresh, Seyoung Kim, Sungwan Park, Krishnan Raghavendran, You-Yeon Won, "Polymer Lung Surfactants Attenuate Direct Lung Injury in Mice", ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 9(5), 2716-2730, 2023 (DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00061).

Dhushyanth Viswanath, You-Yeon Won, "Combining Radiotherapy (RT) and Photodynamic Therapy (PDT): Clinical Studies on Conventional RT-PDT Approaches and Novel Nanoparticle-Based RT-PDT Approaches under Preclinical Evaluation", ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 8(9), 3644-3658, 2022 (DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00287).

Seyoung Kim, Daniel J. Fesenmeier, Sungwan Park, Sandra E. Torregrosa-Allen, Bennett D. Elzey, You-Yeon Won, "Pulmonary Pharmacokinetics of Polymer Lung Surfactants Following Pharyngeal Administration in Mice", Biomacromolecules 23(6), 2471-2482, 2022 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00221).

Daniel J. Fesenmeier, Sungwan Park, Seyoung Kim, You-Yeon Won, "Surface Mechanical Behavior of Water-Spread Poly(styrene)-Poly(ethylene glycol) (PS-PEG) Micelles at the Air-Water Interface: Effect of Micelle Size and End/Linking Group Chemistry", Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 617, 764-777, 2022 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.03.008).

Jin Yoo, Dhushyanth Viswanath, You-Yeon Won, "Strategy for Synthesis of Statistically Sequence-Controlled PEG-PLGA, and Effects of Sequence Distribution on Interaction and Drug Release Properties", ACS Macro Letters 10, 1510-1516, 2021 (DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00637).

Samruddhi M. Patil, Jin Yoo, You-Yeon Won, "Investigation of the Mechanisms and Kinetics of DBU-Catalyzed PLGA Copolymerization via a Full-Scale Population Balance Analysis", Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 60(41), 14865-14700, 2021 (DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c03096).

Jin Yoo, You-Yeon Won, "Phenomenology of the Initial Burst Release of Drugs from PLGA Microparticles", ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 6(11), 6053-6062, 2020 (DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c01228).

Last updated on July 17, 2023.