Matt Tirrell seminar
Amundson Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, the D. Gale Johnson Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, and senior scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory, Matt Tirrell, will deliver a department seminar titled, "Self-Assembly of Charged Macromolecules: From New Physics to New Applications to Origins of Life," on Tuesday, September 8th at 1:25 p.m. in room B75 Amundson Hall.
Abstract
To create functional cellular and subcellular devices, Nature exploits all available covalent and non-covalent interactions for unparalleled spatiotemporal control over hierarchical length scales of macromolecular and supramolecular structure. Among the most important and powerful interactions derive from the complex interplay of electrostatic interactions of charged macromolecules, which still pose many open questions that will require broad collaboration among the life and physical sciences, as well as input from the engineering disciplines to drive toward useful and functional structures and materials. Scientific questions related to the physics of electrostatic self-assembly and to its role in materials science, biology, medicine, and hypotheses about the origins of life will be discussed.
Biography
Matthew Tirrell is the Amundson Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, the D. Gale Johnson Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, and senior scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory. From 2011 to 2023 he was the Founding Dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. He also served as Deputy Laboratory Director for Science at Argonne from 2015-2018 and from 2022-2023. From 2009-2011, he was Professor and Chair of Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Tirrell was Dean of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 1999-2009. From 1977-1999, he was on the faculty of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, where he served as Head from 1995-1999. Professor Tirrell is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the Indian National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of AAAS, APS, and AIMBE. Tirrell's work is in self-assembly and interfacial phenomena in organic material systems. Molecular-level forces such as hydrophobic, electrostatic, hydrogen bonding and others are deployed to create complexes and micellar nanoparticles, interfacially active materials, and hydrogels. This work has uncovered new physics of phase transitions and leads to development of new materials, especially new self-assembled hydrogels. In the realm of micellar nanoparticles, we design and synthesize self-assembling molecules that can organize into multifunctional, multivalent objects with targeting, image contrast and therapeutic capabilities. Recent areas of concentration have been on complexes that target vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, that disrupt intracellular protein-protein interactions and that package nucleic acids for targeted and efficient delivery.
Abstract
To create functional cellular and subcellular devices, Nature exploits all available covalent and non-covalent interactions for unparalleled spatiotemporal control over hierarchical length scales of macromolecular and supramolecular structure. Among the most important and powerful interactions derive from the complex interplay of electrostatic interactions of charged macromolecules, which still pose many open questions that will require broad collaboration among the life and physical sciences, as well as input from the engineering disciplines to drive toward useful and functional structures and materials. Scientific questions related to the physics of electrostatic self-assembly and to its role in materials science, biology, medicine, and hypotheses about the origins of life will be discussed.
Biography
Matthew Tirrell is the Amundson Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, the D. Gale Johnson Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, and senior scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory. From 2011 to 2023 he was the Founding Dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. He also served as Deputy Laboratory Director for Science at Argonne from 2015-2018 and from 2022-2023. From 2009-2011, he was Professor and Chair of Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Professor Tirrell was Dean of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 1999-2009. From 1977-1999, he was on the faculty of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, where he served as Head from 1995-1999. Professor Tirrell is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the Indian National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of AAAS, APS, and AIMBE. Tirrell's work is in self-assembly and interfacial phenomena in organic material systems. Molecular-level forces such as hydrophobic, electrostatic, hydrogen bonding and others are deployed to create complexes and micellar nanoparticles, interfacially active materials, and hydrogels. This work has uncovered new physics of phase transitions and leads to development of new materials, especially new self-assembled hydrogels. In the realm of micellar nanoparticles, we design and synthesize self-assembling molecules that can organize into multifunctional, multivalent objects with targeting, image contrast and therapeutic capabilities. Recent areas of concentration have been on complexes that target vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, that disrupt intracellular protein-protein interactions and that package nucleic acids for targeted and efficient delivery.
