Publications

Supramolecular self-assembled systems have emerged as versatile platforms for engineering biomimetic environments that precisely regulate cellular behavior. These materials have tunable properties such as stiffness, hydrophobicity, and molecular composition, allowing for customization of their structure and function. Despite significant advances, the specific role of electrostatic properties in modulating cellular responses within supramolecular assemblies remains poorly understood. Here, a peptide library with diverse electrostatic profiles is designed to systematically investigate their influence on the bioactivity of supramolecular assemblies for neural regeneration. Combining computational and experimental methods, the self-assembly conditions of these peptides are optimized to create stable, biologically relevant architectures. Using human neural progenitor cell (hNPC) cultures, it is demonstrated that negatively charged environments enhance cell survival and promote neuronal differentiation. Specifically, high negative charges activate critical signaling pathways, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade and cell adhesion mechanisms, leading to neuronal lineage commitment. This study establishes a novel framework for the design of supramolecular systems, offering an unprecedented ability to analyze specific parameters in cell behavior. By achieving control beyond conventional biomaterials, this work provides valuable insights into the complex interplay of biophysical and biochemical cues in the native neural microenvironment, with implications for regenerative medicine and biomaterial design.

JTD Keywords: Charge screening, Death, Design, Extracellular-matrix, Force-field, Human neural progenitor cells, Membrane, Molecular dynamics, Nervous-system, Proteomics, Scaffolds, Self-assemblies, Supramolecular structures

A bottom-up approach to fabricating monodisperse, two-component polymersomes that possess phase-separated ("patchy") chemical topology is presented. This approach is compared with already-existing top-down preparation methods for patchy polymer vesicles, such as film rehydration. These findings demonstrate a bottom-up, solvent-switch self-assembly approach that produces a high yield of nanoparticles of the target size, morphology, and surface topology for drug delivery applications, in this case patchy polymersomes of a diameter of ≈50 nm. In addition, an image processing algorithm to automatically calculate polymersome size distributions from transmission electron microscope images based on a series of pre-processing steps, image segmentation, and round object identification is presented.© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.

JTD Keywords: assemblies, copolymers, evolution, membranes, micelles, ph, phase separation, polymersomes, rafts, self-assembly, size, vesicles, Cell biology, Drug delivery, Drug delivery systems, Microscopy, Nanoparticles, Phase separation, Polymers, Polymersomes, Self-assembly, Solvents, Vesicles

Emerging nanobiotechnologies can offer solutions to the current and future challenges in medicine. By covering topics from regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, drug delivery, bionanofabrication, and molecular biorecognition, this Special Issue aims to provide an update on the trends in nanomedicine and drug delivery using biomimetic approaches, and the development of novel biologically inspired devices for the safe and effective diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease.

JTD Keywords: Bioinspired nanotechnologies, Bionanofabrication, Bio-nano measurement and microscopy, Nanomaterials for biological and medical applications, Nanoassemblies, Nanostructured surfaces, Drug delivery, Nanobioelectronics, Integrated systems/nanobiosensors, Nanotoxicology, Graphene-based applications