Areas of Research
Dr. Kipper's Research
Research Interests:
The interactions of biomolecules, such as proteins, at surfaces and interfaces are important in determining the success or failure of both natural and synthetic materials in biomedical applications (e.g. prostheses, implants, sensors, wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds). Protein adsorption to these surfaces determines whether the surface of a prosthetic might be colonized by bacteria, or healthy tissue cells, whether blood will form a clot, or whether an implant will be rejected or cause chronic inflammation. We use spectroscopic techniques such as Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) and several types of Fourier-Transform Infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) to probe the physical chemistry of these biomolecule-surface interactions to discern what factors govern the adsorption phenomena. Through these studies we will gain an understanding of how to engineer surfaces to resist protein adsorption or tailor the interactions with specific proteins of interest.
One of the most fascinating activities of living cells is their ability to migrate, or translocate from one place to another. Bacteria, the pathogenic cells that cause infections, as well as lymphocytes and macrophages, the cells that fight bacterial infections have homing mechanisms that enable them to respond to stimuli to migrate to a particular place from somewhere else in the body. Cancer cells migrate through the body to form new tumors during metastasis. During embryonic development, cells throughout the body migrate to organize and form new tissues and organs. During different stages of the wound healing process, cells of the immune system and connective tissue cells migrate across wounds. Thus, understanding mechanisms of cell migration is essential for research in important biomedical problems such as cancer, developmental diseases, and tissue engineering. We are developing tools to study mechanisms of connective tissue cell migration. These tools include patterned and gradient surfaces that can present specific biochemical and physical cues to cells to see how they respond. The tools also include mathematical models that describe the cell migration. Finally, as we are using these tools to study cell migration, we will adapt them to engineering solutions to practical biomedical problems such as tailoring the chemistry and geometry of a porous tissue engineering scaffold to promote the migration of certain cell types into the scaffold material.
Polyelectrolytes are very large molecules (polymers) that also carry formal electric charges. These electric charges give rise to strong electrostatic interactions (attractions and repulsions among the polymer molecules and within polymer molecules). These molecular-level interactions give rise to unique physical and chemical properties of polyelectrolytes. Many biomolecules such as proteins, DNA, and polysaccharides are polyelectrolytes, and their polyelectrolyte nature provides much of their function. We are studying the polyelectrolyte properties of biologically derived polymers, in particular, to tailor their self-assembly. In living cells and in the spaces between cells in living tissues, biomolecules assemble into structures that ultimately give organs and tissues their chemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Without the proper organization of molecules cells could not divide, muscles could not contract, and skin would loose its mechanical strength. By understanding the polyelectrolyte properties of biologically derived polymers we will be better able to use these polymers for new technological applications. The polyelectrolyte nature of biologically derived polymers can be exploited to engineer nano-structured materials, target the delivery of genes to cells, and design tissue engineering scaffolds that will promote the growth of healthy tissues by mimicking the native tissue properties
Teaching Interests:
In the fall of 2006 I am teaching the graduate course CB 502 (Advanced Reactor Design). I am also interested in teaching polymer physics and materials design. At Iowa State University, I developed and co-taught an experimental graduate level course entitled Molecular Design of Advanced Materials. While at ISU I also enjoyed lecturing for the senior level course in polymers and polymer engineering. .
Other Activities:
My hobbies include jogging, juggling, “joggling,” unicyling, and keeping up with my two children, Hannah and Josiah.
Selected Publications:
M.J. Kipper, J. Wilson, M. Wannemuehler, and B. Narasimhan, “Single dose Tetanus Vaccine based on Bioerodible Polyanhydride Microspheres can Modulate Immune Response Mechanism.” J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 76A, 798-810, 2006.
M.J. Kipper, S. Seifert, S.-S. Hou, K. Schmidt-Rohr, P. Thiyagarajan, and B. Narasimhan, “Nanoscale Morphology of Polyanhydride Copolymers.” Macromolecules, 38, 8468-8472, 2005.
M.J. Kipper, and B. Narasimhan, “A Molecular Description of Erosion Phenomena in Biodegradable Polymers.” Macromolecules, 38, 1989-1999, 2005.
M.J. Kipper, S. Seifert, P. Thiyagarajan, and B. Narasimhan, “Understanding Polyanhydride Blend Phase Behavior Using Scattering, Microscopy, and Molecular Simulations.” Polymer, 45, 3329-3340, 2004.
M.J. Kipper, E. Shen, A. Determan, and B. Narasimhan, “Design of an Injectable System Based on Bioerodible Polyanhydride Microspheres for Sustained Drug Delivery.” Biomaterials, 23, 4405-4412, 2002.