Biopolymer Physics in Health and Sustainability

Biopolymers, or naturally synthesized and derived polymers, have widespread applications in health and sustainability. In the first part of my talk, I will explore the role of biopolymers in key biological fluids that influence disease. For example, mucus is composed of the biopolymer mucin and lines every inner surface of our bodies, defending us against foreign particles and pathogens. The physical behavior of mucus must be carefully maintained to prevent diseases such as infection. I developed a new set of models that explains how mucus biopolymers, which during infection can include extracellular DNA, interact and contribute to antibiotic tolerance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa), a clinically significant and opportunistic pathogen. I then leveraged the biophysical understanding to inform new targets for potential therapeutic intervention. In a separate project, I harnessed naturally-derived biopolymers as a sustainable solution to combat plastic waste pollution. I reimagined plastics by using biopolymers alginate and chitosan, which are derived from biowaste sources and possess inherent biodegradability. These biopolymers were chemically modified to enhance their ionic strength, which facilitates the formation of a solid polyelectrolyte complex when the two opposite charged biopolymers were mixed. The solid polyelectrolyte complex was processable using industrially relevant equipment and exhibited mechanical stiffness in line with commercial plastics even after multiple recycles. The successful synthesis of this material establishes preliminary design rules for fully recyclable and biodegradable plastics using polyelectrolyte complexation of biopolymers. Together, these studies highlight how understanding the physics of biopolymer interactions leads to both fundamental insight and engineering principles for interventions in disease and advances in sustainable materials development.