A new center at the University of Delaware will advance research to transform the way materials are made. The UD Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (UD CHARM) will drive fundamental materials science research with the potential to enable critical innovations in biomedicine, security, sensing and more. The center, led by UD’s Drs. Thomas H. Epps, III and LaShanda Korley, is part of a network of academic partners and national labs focusing on the development of new materials. Regional research partners in the UD-led center include the University of Pennsylvania and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is one of 11 Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) across the country funded by the NSF in 2020.
Dr. Kloxin, CBI Trainer, along with Dr. Darrin Pochan, will work to design synthetic and artificial versions of proteins that can act as molecular scaffolds and, ultimately, as ultra-small molecular robots and devices. The hope is to program these molecular machines to perform functions that are difficult to accomplish with human hands, such as locating and soldering a loose wire on a computer chip inside a device or moving cellular material from one location to another inside the body.
Congratulations Dr. Kloxin. There will be more to come on this exciting project.
Image credit: Graphic illustrations by Don Shenkle
CLICK HERE to read UDaily article by Karen B. Roberts
CLICK HERE to learn more about Dr. Kloxin’s research
CLICK HERE to read the NSF award announcement
