Liu Research Group Website

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.

ORCID

Google Scholar Profile

C. Twitchell, T. Walimbe, J.C. Liu, and A. Panitch, "Peptide-modified Chondroitin Sulfate Reduces Coefficient of Friction at Articular Cartilage Surface," Current Research in Biotechnology, in press (2020).

S. Hollingshead and J.C. Liu, "pH-Sensitive Mechanical Properties of Elastin-based Hydrogels," Macromolecular Bioscience, 1900369, (2020).

C.-Y. Lin and J.C. Liu, "Incorporation of Short, Charged Peptide Tags Affects the Temperature Responsiveness of Positively-charged Elastin-like Polypeptides," Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 7, 5245-5256 (2019).

R.S.-C. Su, R.J. Galas, C.-Y. Lin, and J.C. Liu, "Redox-responsive Resilin-like Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery Applications," Macromolecular Bioscience, 19, 1900122 (2019).

R.S.-C. Su, E.E. Gill, Y. Kim, and J.C. Liu, "Characterization of Resilin-like Proteins with Tunable Mechanical Properties," Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 91, 68-75 (2019).

M.J. Brennan, S.E. Hollingshead, J.J. Wilker, and J.C. Liu, "Critical Factors for the Bulk Adhesion of Engineered Elastomeric Proteins," Royal Society Open Science, 5, 171225, (2018).

M.J. Brennan, B.F. Kilbride, J.J. Wilker, and J.C. Liu, "A Bioinspired Elastin-based Protein for a Cytocompatible Underwater Adhesive," Biomaterials, 124, 116-125 (2017).

S. Hollingshead, C.-Y. Lin, and J.C. Liu, "Designing Smart Materials with Recombinant Proteins," Macromolecular Bioscience, 17, 1600554 (2017).