Research Highlights

Displaying 1 - 31 of 31

Teaser Image

Tailoring Writability and Performance of Star Block Copolypeptides Hydrogels through Side-Chain Design

February 24, 2024

Synthesis and characterization of shear-recoverable hydrogels based on 3-arm star-shaped block copolypeptides.

Teaser Image

Engineering Soft, Elastic, and Conductive Polymers for Stretchable Electronics Using Ionic Compatibilization

February 24, 2024
Demonstrated design of soft, elastic, and highly conductive polymer complexes through electrostatic interactions between an anionic conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) and a cationic bottlebrush polyelectrolyte (BPE) .
Teaser Image

Competition between β‑Sheet and Coacervate Domains Yields Diverse Morphologies in Mixtures of Oppositely Charged Homochiral Polypeptides

November 6, 2023

Aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged homochiral polypeptides reveal unexpectedly diverse morphologies at high polypeptide concentration and ionic strength.

Teaser Image

National Science Foundation director visits BioPACIFIC MIP facilities

November 6, 2023
In a recent visit to the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), explored the cutting-edge facilities available on campus.
Teaser Image

Building Tunable Degradation into High-Performance Poly(acrylate) Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives

October 3, 2023

Successful development of degradable pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) based on poly(acrylate) chemistry.

Teaser Image

Predicting surfactant phase behavior with a molecularly informed field theory

October 2, 2023

A novel multiscale simulation approach for investigating surfactants and self-assembly in complex systems

Teaser Image

Molecular-scale substrate anisotropy, crowding and division drive collective behaviours in cell monolayers

August 28, 2023
The BioPACIFIC MIP microrheology facility was leveraged to effectively tracking the intricate trajectories of molecules over days.
Teaser Image

Third BioPACIFIC MIP Summer School

July 17, 2023

In-person training sessions for the third annual BioPACIFIC MIP Summer School were successfully held from July 10th to 14th.

Teaser Image

Design, Synthesis, and Application of a Water-soluble Photocage for Aqueous Cyclopentadiene-based Diels-Alder Photoclick Chemistry in Hydrogels

June 28, 2023
A computationally guided design, synthesis, and application of a water-soluble molecule that acts as a photoremovable protecting group, or photocage, for radical-free Diels-Alder photopatterning. 
Teaser Image

Carbodiimide-Fueled Assembly of π-Conjugated Peptides Regulated by Electrostatic Interactions

June 27, 2023

Using SAXS to investigate the relationship between molecular design and structure in the linear π-conjugated peptides assembled through a fuel-driven mechanism.

Teaser Image

New first-of-its-kind Electron Diffraction Tomography (MicroED) microscope available at BioPACIFIC MIP facilities

May 17, 2023

The BioPACIFIC MIP team has completed the construction and installation of a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope (TEM) and has made the instrument available to users.

Teaser Image

Caffeine and Cationic Copolymers with Antimicrobial Properties

May 3, 2023

Peptide-mimicking macromolecules with hydrophobic and cationic side chains that can kill bacteria by destabilizing their membranes.

Teaser Image

Controlled Synthesis of a Homopolymer Network Using a Well-Defined Single-Component Diels–Alder Cyclopentadiene Monomer

May 2, 2023

An approach for the controlled synthesis of a homopolymer network using a well-defined cyclopentadiene (Cp) monomer.

Teaser Image

Modular Synthesis and Patterning of High-Stiffness Networks by Postpolymerization Functionalization with Iron−Catechol Complexes

May 1, 2023

Versatile synthetic procedure for preparing mechanically tunable materials using a two-step process of dual cross-linked networks.

Teaser Image

Engineered Production of Strictosidine and Analogues in Yeast

March 14, 2023

Development of a yeast-based platform for high-titer production of the universal monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIA) precursor, strictosidine.

Teaser Image

Discrete Libraries of Amphiphilic Poly(ethylene glycol) Graft Copolymers: Synthesis, Assembly, and Bioactivity

March 14, 2023

Demonstration of a novel strategy for the scalable synthesis of multiple libraries of discrete lipid poly(ethylene glycol) (DMG-PEG) derivatives, with precise control over the structure and molecular weight.

Teaser Image

High-throughput microscopy to determine morphology, microrheology, and phase boundaries applied to phase separating coacervates

March 11, 2023

A high-throughput characterization platform to achieve simultaneous, in situ mapping of time-evolving morphology and micro-rheology in phase separating complex fluids over a large compositional space.

Teaser Image

National Science Foundation Director Visits BioPACIFIC MIP Facilities

November 21, 2022

Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation, recently visited UCLA to meet with students, faculty members, and campus leaders.

Teaser Image

Efficient Creation and Morphological Analysis of ABC Triblock Terpolymer Libraries

October 13, 2022

A versatile and scalable strategy to separate parent triblock terpolymers into libraries of fractionated samples spanning a wide range of compositions was developed.

Teaser Image

Second BioPACIFIC MIP Summer School

October 12, 2022

The second annual BioPACIFIC MIP Summer School took place in-person, July 17-22.

Teaser Image

Digital Light Processing of Dynamic Bottlebrush Materials

March 30, 2022

3D printing resins that generate super-soft, dynamic, and self-healable elastomers.

Teaser Image

Differential Dynamic Microscopy for the Characterization of Polymer Systems

March 30, 2022

An overview of recent progress in investigating polymer systems by using Differential Dynamic Microscopy.

Teaser Image

BioPACIFIC MIP Advanced X-ray Available to Users

February 28, 2022

New X-ray Facility Brings Synchrotron-level Capabilities to BioPACIFIC MIP

Teaser Image

2021 Biopolymers Elementary Workshop for Teachers

December 9, 2021
As part of its outreach mission, BioPACIFIC MIP sponsored a ‘Biopolymers Elementary Workshop’ for elementary and middle school teachers.
Teaser Image

Modular 3D-Printed Polymer Networks

December 9, 2021

A strategy for making a new class of additive manufacturing resins has been developed. 

Teaser Image

Uncertainty Quantification and Estimation in Differential Dynamic Microscopy

October 30, 2021

A statistical analysis that reduces computational times by 25-120 times in Differential Dynamic Microscopy (DDM), was achieved.

Teaser Image

High-Titer Production of Olivetolic Acid in Engineered Fungal Host

October 30, 2021

A non-plant biosynthetic pathway that produces olivetolic acid (OA) has been elucidated.

Teaser Image

First BioPACIFIC MIP Summer School

September 15, 2021

First BioPACIFIC MIP Summer School took place virtually, August 2-5, 2021

Teaser Image

Living Biofoundry Becomes Available

September 15, 2021

The BioPACIFIC MIP Living Biofoundry (LBF) has been installed at UCLA and is now available to users.

Teaser Image

New Photopatterning Platform

September 15, 2021

Adducts of cyclopentadienone–norbornadiene (CPD–NBD) have been developed and utilized in Diels–Alder based photopatterning of soft materials.

Teaser Image

Fellows Cohort Selected

August 10, 2021

BioPACIFIC MIP Fellowship Awards made to support in-house research at UCSB and UCLA.