Research

Under the guidance of Prof. Jin Kim Montclare, Carlo is developing protein-based biomaterial polymers for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and tissue regeneration. These novel polymers are comprised of two distinct domains - elastin and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein coiled-coil domain (COMPcc)-that, by themselves, exhibit unique physicochemical properties. Specifically, the self-assembly properties of the COMPcc domain allow the polymer to bind and release small molecules; the self-assembly properties of the elastin domain provide a structural foundation to facilitate protected transport and cell adhesion. Since Carlo's participation in this group as a GK-12 Fellow, it has been shown and published that the covalent arrangement of these two domains in a polymer chain affects the physicochemical properties of the whole protein polymer. More recently, he is focusing on biosynthetically incorporating non-natural amino acids, which contain fluorine, into these protein-based biomaterials to explore the effects of fluorine chemistry on the protein's overall structural, chemical and functional properties. His goals include imaging these fluorinated proteins with 19F MRI, which would exemplify the potential to track protein-based biomaterials in vivo. Carlo's work will contribute insight into the applicative effects of combining protein chemistry with synthetic chemistry in the context of biomedical applications.

Figure: GK-12 Fellow, Carlo Yuvienco, optimizes growth conditions for genetically-engineered E.coli strains. These bacteria are engineered to enable the biosynthesis of novel protein biomaterials, the characterization and application of which is the focus of Carlo's Ph.D. research.