Acar Lab

Designing peptide based materials for desired functions in the body

April 2021

We use the toolbox of molecular engineering to develop peptide-based technologies, identify their quantitative properties, and correlate them to their functions. We apply the understanding of structure and function to improve the design and create rules for engineering materials with desired properties. Our research focuses on the discovery of intermolecular interactions and their effects on resultant materials. We create materials for tissue engineering, in vitro and in vivo 3D cancer models, vaccine and drug carriers, cancer immunotherapy, and vaccine adjuvants.

DESIGN

Identify and quantify the effects of intermolecular interactions on the engineered peptides and correlate them to their functions in the biological environment

FUNCTION

Identify and quantify the functions of the engineered peptides and aggregated products on biologically relevant models and correlate them to design properties


Co-assembly of Oppositely charged Peptides (CoOP)

Read the details of our molecular discovery tool:

“Peptide Framework for Screening the Effects of Amino Acids on Assembly.” Science Advances, January 2022 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj0305.


Peptide-aggregation induced immunogenic rupture (PAIIR)


Read the details of our peptide-based immune response inducing system:
“Peptide Aggregation Induced Immunogenic Rupture (PAIIR).” Advanced Science, June 2022
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202105868.