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RAP opportunity at National Institute of Standards and Technology     NIST

Mechanisms of polyplex formation

Location

Material Measurement Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering Division

opportunity location
50.64.21.C0086 Gaithersburg, MD

NIST only participates in the February and August reviews.

Advisers

name email phone
Vivek M. Prabhu vprabhu@nist.gov 301.975.3657

Description

This research opportunity centers on advancing experimental measurement methods to quantify complexes formed between charge-altering releasable transporters (CARTs) with polyelectrolytes.  Modern organocatalytic synthesis of well-defined and functional CART molecules interact with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes to form polyplex particles.  These functional polyplex particles have numerous opportunities for the application of polymers in life science research.[1]  There is much to learn concerning their mechanism of formation.  This research opportunity, will emphasize characterization aspects of these multi-component polyplexes.  The experimental investigation may utilize light scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, and possibly fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to understand the relationships between CART molecular structure (block ratio, charge fraction, degradability), polyanion, and resulting polyplex structure.

 (1) McKinlay, C. J.; Vargas, J. R.; Blake, T. R.; Hardy, J. W.; Kanada, M.; Contag, C. H.; Wender, P. A.; Waymouth, R. M. Charge-Altering Releasable Transporters (CARTs) for the Delivery and Release of MRNA in Living Animals. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2017, 114 (4), E448–E456 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1614193114.

key words
Polyelectrolytes; Polyplex; Coacervation; Gene delivery; Polymer physics

Eligibility

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens
Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants

Stipend

Base Stipend Travel Allotment Supplementation
$82,764.00 $3,000.00
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