Complex coacervation is a liquid–liquid phase separation enables the encapsulation and stabilization of enzymes for myriad applications. We are interested in leveraging this phenomenon to create a “plug–and–play” system for the immobilization, encapsulation, and stabilization of enzymes for a wide variety of applications. The use of crosslinkable neutral–charged block copolymers that can complex with proteins of opposite charge presents a platform to create nanopatterned and insoluble protein–polymer hybrid materials. Current work is focused on tuning the block copolymer properties to optimize the structure and function of these materials. We are also adapting this methodology to a wider range of support materials to enable applications like intelligent packaging, wearable sensors, and bioactive clothing.
Highlighted Publications
1. Mills, C. E., Obermeyer, A., Dong, X., Walker, J., & Olsen, B. D. (2016). Complex coacervate core micelles for the dispersion and stabilization of organophosphate hydrolase in organic solvents. Langmuir, 32(50), 13367-13376. Link
2. Sureka, H. V., Obermeyer, A. C., Flores, R. J., & Olsen, B. D. (2019). Catalytic Biosensors from Complex Coacervate Core Micelle (C3M) Thin Films. ACS applied materials & interfaces, 11(35), 32354-32365. Link