Tirrell Lab

The Science of Self-Assembly

You may also like...

Alumni list

The Tirrell group started from the University of Minnesota, since 1977.

Recent publications

Seminar

Useful link

The Tirrell laboratory has broad and deep expertise in creating novel, functional self-assembled structures focusing on tailored nanomaterials for basic science research and therapeutic applications. In many cases our work has involved the specific design of new molecular architectures that showcase the fundamentals of self-assembly.

The capacity to create a variety of new structures is useful in designing constructs for diagnostic and therapeutic applications where nanoparticles are able to target and home to asymptomatic and resistant pathologies. One such construct is the micellar structure formed by electrostatic complexation of ionic block copolymers, which can be an effective carrier vehicle for charged cargoes such as therapeutic drugs, proteins or nucleic acids. We also have expertise in peptide-based micellar constructs where the dense presentation of a functional peptide at the micelle surface improves the interaction of our nanomaterials with cells. We have used these strategies to great effect as antimicrobial treatments, for the detection and treatment of atherosclerosis and cancer, in regenerative medicines, and also vaccines.

We are poised to both continue the development of new nanomaterials and to drive the use of these constructs as rapidly as possible towards clinical applications. To this end, we work closely with scientific, technical, and clinical collaborators both at the University of Chicago and elsewhere.

 

Principal Investigator

Matthew Tirrell

Matthew Tirrell

mtirrell@uchicago.edu

Harnessing the therapeutic potential of biomacromolecules through intracellular delivery of nucleic acids, peptides and proteins

Yu Tian, Matthew V. Tirrell, James L. LaBelle. "Harnessing the therapeutic potential of biomacromolecules through intracellular delivery of nucleic acids, peptides and proteins". Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2022.

Polymorphism in peptide self-assembly visualized

Targeted polyelectrolyte complex micelles treat vascular complications in vivo

Zhengjie Zhou, Chih-Fan Yeh, Michael Mellas, Myung-Jin Oh, Jiayu Zhu, Jin Li, Ru-Ting Huang, Devin L Harrison, Tzu-Pin Shentu, David Wu, Michael Lueckheide, Lauryn Carver, Eun Ji Chung, Lorraine Leon, Kai-Chien Yang, Matthew V Tirrell, Yun Fang. "Targeted polyelectrolyte complex micelles treat vascular complications in vivo", PNAS.

Protein primary structure correlates with calcium oxalate stone matrix preference

Yu Tian, Matthew Tirrell, Carley Davis, Jeffrey A Wesson. "Protein primary structure correlates with calcium oxalate stone matrix preference". Plos One, 2021, e0257515.

Polymersomes Decorated with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Receptor-Binding Domain Elicit Robust Humoral and Cellular Immunity

"Polymersomes Decorated with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Receptor-Binding Domain Elicit Robust Humoral and Cellular Immunity". ACS Cent. Sci. 2021, 7, 8, 1368-1380.

Polyelectrolyte Complex Coacervation across a Broad Range of Charge Densities

Neitzel, A.E., Fang, Y.N., Yu, B., Rumyantsev, A.M., de Pablo, J.J. and Tirrell, M.V., 2021. Polyelectrolyte complex coacervation across a broad range of charge densities. Macromolecules, 54(14), pp.6878-6890.

Advances in the Structural Design of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Alexander E. Marras, Jeffrey M. Ting, Kaden C. Stevens, and Matthew V. Tirrell. "Advances in the Structural Design of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles". J. Phys. Chem. B, 2021, 125, 26, 7076-7089.

Physical Property Scaling Relationships for Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Alexander E. Marras, Trinity R. Campagna, Jeffrey R. Vieregg, and Matthew V. Tirrell. "Physical Property Scaling Relationships for Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles". Macromolecules, 2021, 54, 13, 6585-6594.

Harnessing Peptide Binding to Capture and Reclaim Phosphate

Fowler, Whitney C., et al. "Harnessing Peptide Binding to Capture and Reclaim Phosphate." Journal of the American Chemical Society 143.11 (2021): 4440-4450. Whitney C. Fowler, Chuting Deng, Gabriella M. Griffen, Tess Teodoro, Ashley Z. Guo, Michal Zaiden, Moshe Gottlieb*, Juan J. de Pablo, Matthew V. Tirrell

Advances in the Structural Design of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Alexander E Marras, Jeffrey M Ting, Kaden C Stevens, Matthew V Tirrell. "Advances in the Structural Design of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles". The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2021

View All Publications

Professor Juan J. de Pablo, Ph.D.

Professor Stuart Rowan, Ph.D.

Professor Yun Fang, Ph.D.

Professor James Labelle, M.D., Ph.D.