Dennis Bong

Research Description:

Our research program is focussed on both the fundamental and applied aspects of organic chemistry at interfaces, particularly lipid membranes. We are pursuing new tools to illuminate lipid membrane biophysics and for controlled chemical delivery to living cells and tissues. Membrane transformations are used in Nature to control the release of chemical agents to designated in vivo targets; we seek to design synthetic lipid and polymer systems that will deliver chemical cargo in a similarly selective manner, predicated on an understanding of lipid assembly biophysics.

Research in the group is highly multidisciplinary: projects begins with organic synthesis and branch into biophysics, bioanalytical studies and cell biology. Researchers with these diverse backgrounds work together to investigate interfacial molecular recognition and its applications in biotechnology and materials science. To this end, our group pursues research in the design and organic synthesis of simple but potentially biologically interesting lipids, peptides, polymers and membrane assemblies.

Projects in the group are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, industrial support on new renewable resource biomaterials, the Ohio Bioproducts Innovation Center and the Institute of Materials Research at the Ohio State University

Research focus:

Multi-disciplinary chemistry, Solid and solution phase organic synthesis, Biomolecular recognition in water, Non-covalent chemistry and self-assembly, Membrane chemistry and physics, Nanoscale ordering, surface patterning, biomaterials, protein folding, Drug delivery