Dr. Kiick’s group investigates the synthesis, characterization, and application of protein, peptide, and self-assembled materials for applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and bioengineering, with specific research in cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and cancer therapies. Besides developing unique skills in materials chemistry and materials characterization, students in the Kiick group also work on multidisciplinary collaborative projects in an independent and dynamic group atmosphere.

The Kiick group welcomes collaborations in materials and biomedical areas. Current collaborations include those with AI DuPont Children’s Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, University of California Davis, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Lehigh University, University of Nottingham, and Brookhaven National Laboratory. The Kiick group is affiliated with the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Delaware Rehabilitation Institute, the Center for Research in Soft Matter & Polymers (CRiSP), and the Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (CHARM).

Current projects in the Kiick group exploit the control of polymer architecture afforded by protein engineering methods to permit the synthesis of advanced materials for specific applications in drug delivery, wound healing, and tissue repair; we employ a varied combination of materials synthesis and characterization methods. Protein engineering strategies are used to produce designed protein materials; biochemical methods are employed for protein purification; chemical methods are used to produce bioconjugates. Immunochemical assays, scattering methods, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and cell culture are also utilized. The production of these unique macromolecular systems will expedite the development of new biomaterials and therapeutic strategies.