Like many diseases, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is driven by the activity of inflammatory cells. Using molecular imaging to target and analyze populations of inflammatory cells is one promising strategy to non-invasively assess atherosclerosis progression. However, current molecular imaging contrast agents are not suited for such targeted imaging applications. Nanomaterial-based strategies...
This thesis proposes a robust multi-pronged approach to study the effect of nanoparticles on cells. In the first place, this work is focused on investigation of the protein corona that accumulates on the surface of nanoparticles internalized by the cells and their poly-pathway effects on protein availability and messenger RNA...
Nanoparticles are nanometer scale (1-1000 nm) structures capable of encapsulating a diverse range of cargoes. Encapsulation of a cargo can drastically alter its pharmacokinetics, cytotoxicity, and biodistribution while allowing for informed and rational design of the nanoparticle itself. Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene sulfide) (PEG-b-PPS) is an amphiphilic diblock co-polymer able to self-assemble...
Colloidal crystal engineering with DNA offers new opportunities for materials scientists to build and program the structures of superlattices beyond what can be accomplished in Nature with atomic crystal lattices. Thus far, such materials primarily have been studied for their optical properties due to the insulating nature of the DNA...