Outreach Programs

Education Programs Technology Outreach Program International Programs Distinguished Lecturer Series International Center for Materials Research MRL Diversity Fellowship MRL Travel Fellowship

Intern: William Hardy, Chemistry, Jackson State University Mentor: Luis Campos Faculty Supervisor: Craig Hawker Department: Materials

SYNTHESIS OF SILICA/POLYMER NANOPARTICLES FOR BIOASSAYS

Proteins regulate biochemical pathways in living cells. The over or under expression of these biochemical pathways lead to various diseases. Thus, the development of an analytical bioassay for proteins is of the utmost importance for biomedical research. Nanoparticles have the potential to be luminescent probes for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes because of size compatibility to many important biomolecules and their novel optical, electronic, and magnetic properties. The controlled synthesis of nanocomposite materials consisting of an inorganic nanoparticle encapsulated within polymer shells is an area of great focus. The polymer shell determines the chemical properties and the interaction with the environment, while the inorganic core and polymer concomitantly control the physical properties (ie. the size and shape) of the composite nanoparticle. In this research, the desire is to synthesize silica- fluorescent dye- polymer- biomarker composites that have the ability to detect bioassays (proteins) more efficiently, with higher sensitivity and lower cost.

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