Peptide Decorated Polymersomes with Applications in Targeted Drug Delivery
Polymersomes, the block co-polymer analog of liposomes, have been synthesized in the Bates group (S. Jain, F. S. Bates, Science 300, 460, 2003) and the Kokkoli Group specializes in designing peptides that mimic the binding sites of physiologically important proteins. I am seeking to integrate the synthesis of these polymersomes and these custom designed peptides, and decorate the surface of polymersome vesicles with these peptides. The peptide surface of the polymersome vesicle will provide the binding specificity needed for the targeted delivery of the drug carried within the polymersome vesicle.