Shell Seminar Series

Protein Nanoparticles as Multifunctional Drug Delivery Carriers

Bio

Dr. Joerg  Lahann is the Wolfgang Pauli Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering. Since 2012, he has been the founding director of the University of Michigan Biointerfaces Institute. Prof. Lahann is a co-author of more than 340 publications including papers in Science, Nature Materials, Nature Biotechnology, or PNAS and has contributed to 50 patents and patent applications. He is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the American Association for the Advancement of the Sciences (AAAS), and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). He has been selected by Technology Review as one of the top 100 young investigators and the recipient of the 2007 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Award, a NSF-CAREER award, and both a single-PI and a team Idea award (2006 & 2011) from the US Department of Defense. Prof. Lahann has an h-index of 75; 191 of his publications published after 2019 have been cited more than 10 times by other researchers (i10-index: 191, source: google scholar). The Lahann Lab has contributed to development of 3D printing methods for ultraporous, precisely engineered support structures that can be used for three-dimensional human organoids or mircotumors. By “tweaking” a rather conventional technological process, i.e., electrospinning, regularly tessellated microstructures with unprecedented pore sizes and shapes were obtained. The main innovation associated with this advancement lies in the introduction of secondary electrical fields, so called electrical lenses, to focus the depositing polymer jet and to write arbitrary structures, i.e., direct jet writing. More recently, they have used this technology to create three-dimensional microtumors and brain as well as cardiac patches from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Abstract

Precise control of the physical and biochemical properties of nanoparticle-based drug delivery vehicles is a prerequisite for effective transport of drugs across a range of biological barriers. To date, the range of biodegradable macromolecular systems with appropriate biocompatibility, low levels of immunogenicity and extended structural stability that can be prepared at scale remains rather limited. Towards that end, nanoparticles comprised of protein/polymer conjugates offer a range of unique features, such as biodegradability and extended in vivo stability, active targeting and stimuli-responsiveness, or the potential for delivery of small-molecule drugs and biopharmaceuticals. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) co-jetting, an adaptive manufacturing process that involves transferring two or more capillary needles in a side-by-side configuration, can be used to create a wide range of multicompartmental protein/polymer nanoparticles. The protein nanoparticles combine the processability of synthetic polymers with the biological properties of proteins. In the context of glioblastoma multiforme, protein nanoparticles enable systemic delivery of RNAi to intracranial brain tumors. Protein nanoparticles that can enable controlled release of combination drugs from the same nanoparticle will also be discussed.

Bio

Dr. Jeffrey J. Gray is Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChemBE) at the Johns Hopkins University, with joint appointments in the Program in Molecular Biophysics and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (Oncology). He earned his B.S.E. in chemical engineering at the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and he completed post-doctoral training at the University of Washington. His research focuses on computational protein structure prediction and design, particularly protein-protein docking, antibody engineering, membrane proteins, protein-carbohydrate interactions, and deep learning.

Gray serves as the Director of the Rosetta Commons, an international collaboration of over 100 leading labs focused on biomolecular structure prediction, analysis, and design. He is the Director of the NSF-supported Rosetta Commons Summer Intern (REU) Program and the Rosetta Commons Post-baccalaureate Program (RaMP). Gray is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and his awards include the AIChE’s David Himmelblau Award, the Beckman Young Investigator Award, the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising. He previously served on the editorial board of Proteins. At Johns Hopkins he has been the Vice Chair of Research of the ChemBE Department, an engineering faculty senator, a member of the Diversity Leadership Council, a co-founder of the Homewood Council on Inclusive Excellence, and the ChemBE departmental diversity champion. He coauthored the 2024 Community Statement on the Responsible Development of AI for Protein Design (responsiblebiodesign.ai).

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence Tools for Protein Engineering

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have unlocked incredible possibilities for biomolecular engineering. In this talk, I will share advances from my lab in antibody engineering and protein-protein docking based on AI. Some neural network models (CNNs and multi-track transformer networks) outperform physical models for antibody structure prediction, while property prediction remains challenging. Generative language models offer multiple promising routes for design of antibody therapeutics, but they produce repertoire distributions different than those produced with heuristic, gene-recombination and somatic-mutation models. AI docking methods could reveal biological mechanisms and allow for screening of potential therapeutics. We probe how to extract a thermodynamic-like energy function from denoising diffusion models.  We envision a future where AI methods can be combined with physics for powerful and interpretable biomolecular engineering.

Bio

Dr. Will Tisdale is the Warren K. Lewis Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, where he has been teaching and leading a research team since 2012. His research program is focused on the discovery of hybrid organic-inorganic nanomaterials capable of transporting energy in new ways, and on the use and development of ultrafast laser spectroscopy methods and advanced optical microscopy techniques for probing dynamics at the nanoscale.

Will’s contributions to research have been recognized by the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the DOE Early Career Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the AIChE NSEF Young Investigator Award. For his dedication to undergraduate teaching Will received MIT’s highest honor, the MacVicar Fellowship, as well as the student-selected Baker Award and the School of Engineering’s Amare Bose Award.

Abstract

Hybrid Semiconductor Nanomaterials

Hybrid organic-inorganic semiconductor nanomaterials – including colloidal quantum dots (QDs), 2D halide perovskites, and metal organochalcogenides – are excitonic materials with applications ranging from solar cells to light-emitting devices to quantum computing and quantum cryptography. In these emerging materials, the combination of quantum and dielectric confinement, strong exciton-phonon coupling, and dimensionality reduction offer unprecedented opportunities for controlling light-matter-charge interactions through chemistry. In this talk, I will describe recent work from my lab on the synthesis and photophysics of hybrid semiconductor nanomaterials and our evolving understanding of how structure and chemical functionalization influence excited state dynamics.

Bio

Dr. Alberto Striolo graduated with a PhD from the University of Padova, Italy, where he was supervised by Prof. Alberto Bertucco and Prof. John Prausnitz (UC Berkeley). From 2002 to 2005, he was post-doctoral research associate under the supervision of Prof. K. Gubbins (NC State University) and Prof. Peter Cummings (Vanderbilt University). In 2005, Striolo started his independent career at the University of Oklahoma (OU). After sabbaticals at Princeton University (Profs. P. Debenedetti and A. Panagiotopoulos) and Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab. (Prof. M. Salmeron and Dr. P. Ashby), he became Professor of Molecular Thermodynamics at University College London, UK, in 2013. Prof. Striolo returned to OU in 2021, where he holds the Asahi Glass Chair of Chemical Engineering. He studies complex interfaces using an arsenal of computational techniques, possible in collaboration with experimental experts from academia and industry alike. His goal is to translate fundamental discoveries to advancements in the energy and materials sectors.

Abstract

Designing Specialty Chemicals From the Bottom-Up: New Surfactants For Reducing Interfacial Tension and Modulating Clathrate Hydrates Growth and Structure

Surface-active chemicals, known as surfactants, are used in a variety of applications, ranging from detergency to surface modification, from drug-delivery to energy production, and others. Consumer demands and societal challenges require the identification of new, effective surfactants, not derived from fossil fuels, if possible. As a diverse range of precursors are explored, including plastic waste, sugars, and palm oil, it is becoming clear that future surfactants might have molecular structures more complex than that of current commercial products. Our research group has embarked on an adventure to identify which molecular motifs, e.g., branching of the tailgroup, modulate the performance of surfactants in a variety of applications. As a first example, we will discuss how the molecular structure of surfactants is important for modulating interfacial tension. This is a property directly related to applications such as detergency and firefighting. As a second example, we will discuss how surfactants affect the growth rate of clathrate hydrates, a class of fascinating structures that could become useful as a technology for carbon sequestration. In the latter example, we will show how surfactants adsorbed at the hydrate-water interface directly affect the thickness of the quasi-liquid layer of interfacial water. Indirectly, the thickness of this layer is found to be correlated with the growth rate of CO₂ hydrates. Perhaps new surfactants could be designed to effectively control the growth rate of clathrate hydrates? We are looking forward to discussing practical implications of the simulation results, as well as designing research projects to test our hypothesis and move forward advanced applications.

Bio

Dr. Margarita Herrera-Alonso is an associate professor in the School of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering (SBCE) at Colorado State University. Herrera-Alonso completed her undergraduate and Master of Science studies in chemical engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM). She received her Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and did her postdoctoral work at Princeton University. She returned to UNAM as a postdoctoral research associate and lecturer, prior to joining the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University as an Assistant Professor. She is now an Associate Professor at CSU where she holds a joint and at the School of Materials Science and Engineering.

Abstract

Bottlebrush block copolymer nanoparticles as next-generation drug carriers 

Recent breakthroughs in nanotechnology have propelled the development of nanomedicines, revolutionizing drug delivery strategies. Among the various platforms, polymeric drug carriers emerge as promising candidates due to their stability, molecular versatility, and ability to overcome delivery challenges. In this study we discuss the use of bottlebrush copolymers to mediate nanoparticle formation. Bottlebrushes consist of long backbones densely tethered with side-chains, yielding highly persistent macromolecules with a worm-like structure. Advanced polymerization techniques allow for precise control of the molecular characteristics of this class of polymers, including endowing them with an amphiphilic character. In this seminar, we will discuss zwitterionic bottlebrush block copolymers and explore their self-assembly behavior, specifically focusing on two distinct pathways: thermodynamic micelles formed via direct dissolution, and kinetically assembled nanoparticles using Flash Nanoprecipitation. Flash nanoprecipitation is a scalable and versatile technique to produce polymeric nanoparticles with excellent control over composition, size, and surface chemistry. It has been shown to effectively encapsulate hydrophobic materials at the core, which range from contrast agents and small molecule drugs, to inorganic colloids and polymers. Reported stabilizers have primarily been limited to linear diblock copolymers, and less is known regarding the role of amphiphile architecture —particularly of highly-grafted polymers such as molecular bottlebrushes— on nanoparticle fabrication and the properties of their self-assembled structures. Our results will provide insights into the self-assembly of this class of macromolecules as alternatives to linear polymers for the development of next-generation drug carriers.

Bio

Dr. Heather Trajano is an Associate Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia. She earned a Ph.D. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California Riverside as part of the U.S. D.O.E. BioEnergy Science Center. Immediately after completion of her Ph.D., Dr. Trajano joined UBC as an Assistant Professor in 2012.

Dr. Trajano’s research program investigates the fundamentals of the sophisticated fractionation and transformation processes needed to convert pulp and paper mills into sustainable biorefineries. The forestry industry is poised to deliver innovative, low- high-value materials, chemicals, and fuels while delivering sizeable GHG emission reductions and numerous employment opportunities in rural communities. She frequently works with multidisciplinary teams and industrial partners to address complex biorefining problems through a combination of engineering analysis, biochemical and chemical characterization, and numerical modeling for realistic biomass substrates. Her recent accomplishments include the demonstration of highly-alkaline peroxide treatment for strength enhancement of mechanical pulps, valorization of extractives while simultaneously reducing water treatment challenges, and patenting an enzyme-LC refining process for surface treatments of paper. In 2023, Dr. Trajano was recognized as one of Pulp & Paper Canada’s Top 10 Under 40 for her contributions to transform the industry by developing implementation-ready processes and engineers trained to apply cutting-edge technologies.

Abstract

Complete Valorization of Wood for the Biorefinery

The forest biorefinery, sustainable transformation of wood into a range of products, requires complete valorization of feedstock in order to maximize environmental, social and economic value per harvested tonne. In this talk, the audience will be introduce to two overlooked opportunities, hemicellulose and mechanical pulp.

Hemicelluloses are intriguing complex polysaccharides. By tuning molecular weight, hemicellulose derivatives can be utilized in a broad range of applications including food, paper, and mining. Through novel modeling approaches, the evolution of molecular weight during softwood hydrolysis can be observed and conditions to achieve maximum yield can be predicted. From this deeper understanding, we can guide the development of more efficient and targeted biorefining processes.

Mechanical pulp yields exceed 90% making it an outstanding opportunity to maximize delivery of biodegradable, low carbon materials. Expanding use of mechanical pulp into advanced paper products requires fibre modification to reduce energy use and increase strength. Enzymatic hydrolysis at industrially relevant temperature, time, and pH was investigated as a strategy for modifying fibres for enhanced papermaking. Guided by promising bench results, two pilot scale trials (220 L incubation tank, 16” disc refiner) were conducted at the UBC Pulp and Paper Centre. Both campaigns revealed evidence of localized fibre modifications pointing to the importance of mass transfer.

These case studies illustrate the importance of developing deep understanding of complex subtrates and reactions in order to realize the environmental, social and economic promise of the biorefinery.

Bio

Dr. Dionisios (Dion) G. Vlachos is the Unidel Dan Rich Chair in Energy Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware, the Director of the University of Delaware Energy Institute (UDEI), of the UD node of the manufacturing institute RAPID, and the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI), an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC). He is the ExxonMobil Visiting Chair Professor, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 2018-2021.

Dion obtained a five-year diploma in Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1987, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1990 and 1992. He spent a postdoctoral year at the Army High-Performance Computing Research Center in Minnesota. Dr. Vlachos joined the University of Massachusetts as an assistant professor and promoted to an associate professor in 1998. He joined the University of Delaware in 2000. He was a visiting fellow at Princeton University in 2000, a visiting faculty member at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital in 2007, the George Pierce Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota in 2007, the Allan and Myra Ferguson Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 2016-2020, and the Elizabeth Inez Kelley Professor of Chemical Engineering, 2009-2016.

He is the ExxonMobil Visiting Chair Professor, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 2018-2021. Professor Vlachos is the winner of the 2020 Irving Wender Award for Excellence in Catalysis from the Pittsburgh-Cleveland Catalysis Society, the 2016 Catalysis Club of Philadelphia Award, the R. H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering from AIChE (2011) and is an AAAS Fellow (since 2009). He also received an NSF Career Award and an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award.

Vlachos’ research focuses on circular economy and waste derivatization, multiscale modeling and simulation, distributed (bio)chemical manufacturing, process intensification and novel catalytic reactors, renewable fuels and chemicals, catalyst informatics and in silico materials prediction, and kinetic modeling. He is a pioneer of the multiscale modeling field and the introduction of fundamental research in biomass.

Abstract

Catalytic Technologies for Sustainability and the Energy Transition

The energy transition involves complex feedstocks, such as biomass and plastics. It requires new processes and materials, as well as efficient methods for delivering heat to reactors, intensified processes, and electrification, such as Joule and microwave heating. We will present an overview of some of the challenges associated with the energy transition. We will then discuss electrification technologies, such as plasmas, microwaves, and Joule heating, for decarbonizing the chemical industry, with an emphasis on high-temperature processes and the scalability of these technologies for retrofitting existing infrastructure. We will also discuss the need for AI-enabled multiscale modeling for process optimization and scale-up. We will demonstrate these technologies with examples from shale gas upgrade and plastics recycling.

Bio

Dr. Dayne Swearer is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical & Biological Engineering at Northwestern University. Dayne received his Ph.D. in 2019 from Rice University where was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Laboratory for Nanophotonics under the guidance of Prof. Naomi Halas. Dayne’s postdoctoral training was conducted at Stanford University, where he was an Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow in the Chemical Sciences, working with Prof. Jennifer Dionne. At Northwestern, the Swearer group tackles challenges related to global sustainability, industrial decarbonization, and the electrification of chemical and commodities manufacturing. Dayne’s early career achievements have been recognized with a 2023 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering, an Explorer Fellowship by Breakthrough Energy Foundation, an AFOSR Young Investigator Award, and he has been recognized by Chemical Engineering News as a member of the 2025 Talented 12 cohort

Abstract

Water structure and computational design of water-mediated solute-surface interactions

Electrons are the subatomic glue that holds molecules and materials together. However, given their small mass and charged nature, electrons can be accelerated by electromagnetic fields to create emergent states of matter where electronic temperatures are far from equilibrium. This seminar will highlight our recent research in leveraging radiant electromagnetic energy (e.g., light) to induce collective resonant excitations in materials (i.e., plasmon polaritons) and in electrified gases (i.e., nonthermal plasmas) for chemical transformations. While both systems are distinct, significant similarities in chemical pathways initiated by out-of-equilibrium carriers are preserved. One central theme of our work is integrating and leveraging the chemistry of these ‘hot’ carriers in plasmonic nanoparticles and nonthermal plasmas with engineered catalytic surfaces to achieve desired reaction outcomes of industrial and societal importance. This talk will emphasize two primary vignettes. The first account will highlight efforts in developing copper-based dilute plasmonic alloys and the role that active-site engineering plays in hastening C-H scission during alkane dehydrogenation. We have found that the plasmon-enhanced photochemical rates of propane dehydrogenation are significantly accelerated in the presence of isolated Pt single atoms with distinct reactivity changes compared to CuRh alloys. Furthermore, we have found the Cu plasmonic host lattice can be bifunctional, facilitating C-C coupling and olefin aromatization to produce benzene, toluene, and xylenes during photoexcitation. The second account will highlight exciting results on selective alkane oxidations in a pulsed plasma bubble reactor. By integrating copper-oxide catalysts into porous gas dispersion tubes and discharging plasma into an aqueous environment, we can controllably modify the chemistry of reactive intermediates and enhance liquid phase selectivity of key products such as methanol to greater than 98% through optimization of mass transfer and residence times in the discharge zone. This seminar will highlight the distinct opportunities presented by harnessing out-of-equilibrium electrons for distributed energy and commodity production and the challenges that remain. 

Bio

Abstract

Bio

Dr. Manolis Tzanakakis is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Tufts University. He is also a faculty member at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology program, and the Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Drug Development at the Tufts School of Medicine. Professor Tzanakakis earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota (UMN) and completed post-doctoral training at the UMN Stem Cell Institute. He then continued as a post-doctoral fellow in the Diabetes Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). His research group focuses on stem cell engineering and bioprocessing, mainly developing cellular therapies for diabetes. They also work on optogenetic engineering of cells and tissues, especially those of the endocrine pancreas. Additionally, the group has a long-standing interest in the biology and function of regenerating islet (Reg) proteins in normal and diseased states of the pancreas. Professor Tzanakakis has received the James D. Watson Investigator Award and fellowships from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, NIH, New York State Stem Cell Science Agency, and the US Department of Defense. He is a Fellow of the College of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and a member of the Beta Cell Therapy Reviewer College of Diabetes UK

Abstract

Engineering next-generation cellular therapeutics: from exosomes to functional modulation via optogenetics

Bio

Abstract

Bio

Dr. M. Scott Shell is the Myers Founders Chair Professor and Graduate Vice Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of California Santa Barbara.  He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon in 2000 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton in 2005, followed by a postdoc in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UC San Francisco from 2005-07.  Prof. Shell’s group develops novel molecular simulation, multiscale modeling, and statistical thermodynamic approaches to address problems in contemporary soft condensed matter and biophysics. Recent areas of interest include protein self-assembly and aggregation, water structure and water-mediated interactions, membrane design, and complex polymer formulations.  He is the recipient of a Dreyfus Foundation New Faculty Award (2007), an NSF CAREER Award (2009), a Hellman Family Faculty Fellowship (2010), a Northrop-Grumman Teaching Award (2011), a Sloan Research Fellowship (2012), a UCSB Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award (2014), the CoMSEF Impact Award from AIChE (2017), a UCSB Academic Senate Graduate Mentor Award (2022), Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2024), and Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2025).

Abstract

Water structure and computational design of water-mediated solute-surface interactions

Water-mediated interactions constitute fundamental driving forces in a profound range of synthetic and natural materials.  Decades of work has thought about how these interactions are influenced, or even controlled, by the manner in which water structures and dynamically responds near solutes and surfaces.  Here, we use molecular simulations and theory to address a related but distinct question: how can solutes and surfaces be engineered to program water structure in predictable ways that manipulate the functional behavior of materials?  We analyze a wide range of simulated systems and show that metrics for water structure are predictive of functional properties.  We then develop an optimization workflow coupling molecular simulations to machine-learning algorithms that systematically designs heterogeneous aqueous interfaces to manipulate water structure and effect new material properties, such as solute binding and selectivity in transport through porous materials.  These computational efforts identify new synthetic targets that leverage water’s distinct responses to hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and charged surface groups to chemically organize high-performing surfaces.