Research Description

Research in the Winter lab is divided into two main areas: bionanotechnology and neural biomaterials. In the area of bionanotechnology, research focuses on nanoparticle synthesis, nanoparticle assembly, and nanofactory design for biomedical applications. Examples include synthesis of quantum dots for super-resolution imaging, synthesis of larger nanoparticles assemblies mediated by protein and DNA interactions, molecular and cell separations and sensing using magnetic quantum dots, and engineered interactions between molecular motors and cytoskeletal proteins using magnetic nanoparticle steering. In the area of neural biomaterials, we are developing materials that mimic features of brain, including dimensionality, chemistry, topography and mechanics for applications in neural disease. Examples include evaluation of glioma cell migration on nanofiber and hydrogel substrates, nanopatterned substrates to promote corneal wound healing, and nanopatterned materials to investigate migration during embryonic development.