Welcome to the Liu Group!

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.