Designing innovative biomaterials and drug-delivery systems through a synthesis-driven, data-focused research approach.

Proficiencies

Analytical Chemistry

Peptide Synthesis & Characterization

Biomaterials & Polymer Science

Material Characterization

Biological Assays

Cell Culture

Assay Validation

Quality Control

Regulatory & Quality

Data Analysis

Notable Research Achievement

Chemical structure of the mCA4-5 self-assembling peptide

Development of New Biomaterials

Designed and developed a novel self-assembling peptide sequence (mCA4-5) featuring potent antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities.

Published foundational findings as first author, establishing the peptide's utility for more advanced immunotherapy and drug encapsulation applications.

The novel mCA4-5 sequence now serves as a core platform for multiple ongoing research projects.

Virtual presentation

Solving Global Challenges with Chemistry

Antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities of self-assembling peptides and peptide nanoparticles

Symposium (Health) — Therapeutic Interventions to Combat Bacterial Resistance. IUPAC · CCCE Virtual 2021, August 13–20.

Watch the talk

Polymeric nanoparticle whose MMP2-cleavable surface peptides release two drug payloads

Fig. 1 — MMP2 cleaves the surface peptides, releasing both payloads from the self-assembled particle.

01 · Drug delivery

Polymer-based drug delivery systems

Self-assembling polymeric nanoparticles that encapsulate a payload and have cleavable peptides on the surface for controlled and synergistic drug release.

Encapsulation

Release kinetics

DLS

Cellular uptake

Slow freezing versus vitrification, and the state of the cells after each

Fig. 2 — slow freezing leaves extracellular ice and damaged cells; vitrification holds the sample glassy and the cells intact.

02 · Cryobiology

Cryopreservation & cryoprotectant development

Formulation and evaluation of cryoprotectants for biological material

A postdoctoral project with the Atlantic Veterinary College and local agricultural companies: novel polymeric cryoprotectants that control ice formation so cells and tissue are more viable after thawing.

Cell viability assays

Freeze–thaw protocols

RAFT photopolymerization of a two-block copolymer that self-assembles into spheres, worms and vesicles

Fig. 3 — RAFT photopolymerization builds the two blocks in turn; past a critical chain length the copolymer self-assembles into spheres, worms and vesicles.

03 · Biomaterials

Peptide–polymer conjugate design

Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) with controlled polymerization (RAFT)

The result I'm proudest of: a novel peptide sequence that self-assembles into functional nanoparticles and shows immunomodulatory activity. Conjugated to RAFT-made polymer chains, it becomes a platform for immunotherapy and drug encapsulation.

Peptide design

RAFT

Immunomodulation

Tunicates, the cellulose repeat unit, a TEM of the extracted nanocrystals and their TGA trace

Fig. 4 — tunicate to cellulose: TEM of the extracted nanocrystals, with TGA of their thermal decomposition.

04 · Process development

Nanocrystalline cellulose from tunicates

With TUNISTRONG Technologies Inc.: a project involving extracting nanocrystalline cellulose and proteins from tunicates for value-added applications, and providing the analytical backbone — method development, characterisation, SOPs and reporting — for process development.

Materials engineering

Industry collaboration

Cell culture feeding Western blot, fluorescence microscopy and plate-reader readouts

Fig. 5 — one culture, three readouts: Western blot, fluorescence microscopy, and plate-reader viability and ELISA.

05 · Biological assays

In vitro biological evaluation & assay development

Assessing, designing, optimizing, troubleshooting, and validating cell-based and immunoassay methods to evaluate drug efficacy, immunomodulation, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial activity, and cellular uptake mechanisms. Methods include ELISA, flow cytometry, Western blot, and cell viability assays (including post-thaw viability and cytokine release) in mammalian and bacterial cell-culture systems under CL2 biosafety conditions. Assay performance was evaluated against acceptance criteria for reproducibility, with results compiled into structured technical reports in line with GLP/GMP and SOP practices.