Research Program at the Lee Lab

Biomimetic Interfacial Nanomaterials

The primary goal of my research program is to create precisely defined, bioinspired nanomaterials that can be used for studying complex interfacial phenomena and as functional materials, devices, and therapeutics. In my research group, we are particularly inspired by how nature manages complex interactions at interfaces and self-assembles functional bionanomaterials. Therefore, we use bioengineering approaches to both study and mimic these processes. Specifically, we use genetic engineering techniques to design novel peptides/proteins or viruses/cells and then use them to create functional nanostructures for regenerative medicine, therapeutics, biosensing, biomining, and energy generation. Through our research, we would like to address the following questions (click the links to learn more):

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Figure 1. Schematic illustration of our biomimetic self-templating assembly process using phage as collagen-like helical nanofibers. The work is based on our ongoing research and was chosen as one of twelve highlights in President Obama’s National Science Foundation Report for US Congress (2014) entitled ‘Manufacturing Goes Viral’.