U.S.-India International Research Experience for Students in Self-Assembling Stimuli-Responsive Biomimetic Polymers

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1132079Morgan University of Southern Mississippi U.S.-India International Research Experience for Students (IRES) in Self-Assembling Stimuli-Responsive Biomimetic Polymers Professor Sarah Morgan, University of Southern Mississippi School of Polymers & High Performance Materials (SPHPM) will launch a 3-year IRES program with Professor Veena Choudhary, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D), Center for Polymer Science & Engineering. The IRES builds on an existing collaboration between Morgan and Choudhary in nanomaterials and will allow US graduate and undergraduates to conduct research at IIT-D that focuses on the design of biomimetic stimuli-responsive self-assembling polymers for potential application in biomaterials or controlled release applications. The collaboration involves the design of polymers for architectures capable of mimicking biological response through controlled radical polymerization techniques. This project combines IIT-D strengths in design and analysis of biomaterials with SPHPM expertise in controlled polymer synthesis, solution and surface analysis, and development of self-assembling polymeric structures. The investigators will explore two biomimetic systems- 1) the structural factors in synthetic biomimetic polymers that affect protein binding in polymers, and 2) the encapsulation and release behavior of pH-responsive polymersomes to determine self-assembling properties of polymers as a function of processing and environmental conditions. Web technology will facilitate the exchange of data and ideas, accelerate the research process, as well as the development of new materials for application in sensing and diagnostics. This is a unique opportunity for under-represented groups at the University of Southern Mississippi to participate in international research at one of India's premier institutes of technology. US students participate in international research to a much lesser degree than students from other countries, and among minorities, there are significantly fewer participants. Apart from conducting laboratory research with IIT-D mentors, IRES students will experience a strong cultural program while in India and will have the opportunity to visit local polymer businesses along with research centers established by leading multinational companies in order to gain some appreciation of the global research enterprise.