Research
Acar Laboratory has a broad interest in molecular engineering in health care applications.
Our interdisciplinary approach combines peptide chemistry, molecular engineering, and materials science.
Our interest in the areas we study goes beyond demonstrations of proof-of-concept; we are passionate about producing useful implementations/solutions.
Peptide engineering: Peptides, because of ease of their synthesis, low cost, and diversity of their building blocks, have a broad range of applications in materials science, energy, security, and health. We have extensive experience in engineering peptides to program their aggregation into desired morphologies and properties. Related publications
3D models for high-throughput translational research: The lack of in vitro models that represent the native tumor microenvironment is a significant challenge for cancer research. Two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture has long been the standard for in vitro cell-based studies. However, differences between 2D culture and the in vivo environment have led to poor translation of cancer research from in vitro to in vivo models, slowing the progress of the field.
We study biomaterial-based multicellular tumor spheroids formation; their biological differences and relevance to patient samples. We use these models to study new diagnosis techniques and drugs. Related publications
