Project Description

Hydrogels and other soft materials are often used as artificial extracellular matrices (ECMs) to promote tissue regeneration following injury. However, recapitulating nano- and microstructured mechanical and chemical cues that are critical to the function of the native ECM is often a challenge, from both synthetic and characterization perspectives. Our laboratories are working together to develop and characterize artificial ECMs that use unique surface functionalization strategies to embed precisely controlled chemical and mechanical motifs that promote desired cellular adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation processes. To characterize the nano- and micromechanical implications of the structured surface layer, we propose to integrate both autofluorescence and multiple particle tracking microrheological measurements. We anticipate that this postdoctoral position will work in both nanoscale interface functionalization and characterization of mechanical properties at boundaries between soft material layers with distinct chemistries. Depending on the background of the candidate, the position may also involve characterizing cell‒material interactions during cell migration and proliferation. Our ultimate goal is to design and characterize mechanical properties of ultrathin interfacial layers that recapitulate functions of biological basement membranes important in controlling epithelial and endothelial layer growth, driving stem cell differentiation, and for interrogating environmental factors that can lead to improved regulation of tissue function. 

Start Date

July 31, 2024 or later

Postdoc Qualifications

*Highly motivated and independent researcher
*Excellent written and oral communication skills
*Strong publication record
*Eager to join an interdisciplinary team that touches on topics in chemical and biomedical engineering, chemistry, tissue engineering, and materials science

Co-advisors

Kelly Schultz, kmschultz@purdue.edu, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/people/ptProfile?resource_id=293892
http://www.schultzlab.io/research/

Shelley Claridge, claridge@purdue.edu, Tarpo Department of Chemistry and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, https://www.chem.purdue.edu/claridge/
https://www.claridgelab.com/

Bibliography

Macromolecules I, 2022, 55, 4469 – 4480.

2. “Rheological characterization of dynamic remodeling of the pericellular region by human mesenchymal stem cell-secreted enzymes in well-defined synthetic hydrogel scaffolds.” Daviran, M., Longwill, S.M., Casella, J.F., Schultz, K.M., Soft Matter, 2018, 14, 3078 – 3089.

3. “Surface-Templated Glycopolymer Nanopatterns Transferred to Hydrogels for Designed Multivalent Carbohydrate–Lectin Interactions across Length Scales.” Singh, A.; Arango, J.C.; Shi, A.; d’Aliberti, J.B.; Claridge, S.A. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023, 145, 1668–1677.
4. “Plenty of Room at the Top: A Multi-Scale Understanding of nm-Resolution Polymer Patterning on 2D Materials.” Shi, A.; Villarreal, T.A.; Brooks, J.T.; Hayes, T.R.; Claridge, S.A. Angewandte Chemie, 2021, 60, 25436-25444.