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    From Proteins to Polymers and Back Again: Synthesis and Applications of Silk-Inspired Materials

    February 17, 2023
    7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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    Chicago ACS February 2023 Virtual Meeting

    Dr. R. Helen Zha

    Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering
    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

    From Proteins to Polymers and Back Again:
    Synthesis and Applications of Silk-Inspired
    Materials

    ABSTRACT

    Nature provides many examples of high-performance polymers with properties surpassing those of man-made plastics. Protein-based materials often have complex properties based on the synergy of diverse intermolecular interactions among their amino acid sequences. Silk fibroin, a class of proteins produced by many insects and arachnids, is an archetypal elastomer with an unrivaled combination of strength and toughness. From a macromolecular perspective, silk fibroins are linear segmented copolymers consisting of regularly alternating beta-sheet-forming “hard” blocks and flexible “soft” blocks. During spinning, silk fibroins undergo self-assembly and transition from soluble proteins to robust materials with stiff nanocrystalline beta-sheet domains reinforcing an amorphous matrix. Our research aims to develop new methods to produce silk-mimetic macromolecules with well-defined chemical structures and targeted properties. Such materials have potential applications in
    environmental sustainability (biodegradable plastics) and healthcare (tissue engineering and drug release). For example, we have developed a non-covalent method for generating adherent nanothin silk fibroin coatings on substrates. Based on an interfacial self-assembly phenomenon, these coatings transform the physicochemical properties of a surface and endow it with new functionality. Our research delves into how surface-protein and protein-protein interactions influence coating formation and bioengineering applications of these coatings.

    PROGRAM

    • 7:00 - 7:10  Announcements by Peggy Schott, Chair
    • 7:10 - 8:00  Presentation by Dr. Helen Zha
    • 8:00 - 8:15  Q&A, closing remarks

    QUESTIONS

    Please contact the Section Office via phone (847-391-9091) or email ([email protected]).

    BIOGRAPHY

    Helen Zha received her B.Sc. degree (2007) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. degree (2013) from Northwestern University in Materials Science & Engineering. Her doctoral research with Prof. Sam Stupp was on self-assembling peptide-based materials. Helen then pursued postdoctoral research with Prof. Bert Meier at Eindhoven University of Technology, where she developed nanostructured photoswitchable supramolecular materials, and with Prof. Phil Messersmith at UC Berkeley, where she worked on biomimetic antimicrobial materials.
    Dr. Zha started as a tenure-track assistant professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering in 2018. She has received an NSF CAREER Award and has published 24 peer-reviewed journal articles and two patents to date. Additionally, Prof. Zha currently sits on the Scientific Advisory Council of Materials Innovation Initiative, a non-profit organization aiming to accelerate the development of next-generation sustainable materials.

     

    Tickets

    $0.00 Individual Donation (flexible amount)

    $0.00 Donation to Project SEED (flexible amount)

    $10.00 Tote bag: CHICAgO elements - blue

    $0.00 REGISTRATION: Chicago ACS member

    $0.00 REGISTRATION: Guest and Non-Chicago ACS member

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