Cyclic peptide / polymer conjugates as drug delivery vectors

The project will explore the synthesis of cyclic peptides / polymer conjugates and their functionalisation with drugs through a degradable bond. The conjugates will be assembled into tubular nanoparticles through H bonds and used to penetrate cells. Upon cell uptake the degradable bond will be cleaved thus delivering the drug inside the cells. The project will require advanced polymer synthesis, peptide synthesis and ligation techniques, supramolecular and physical chemistry techniques to characterise the self assemblies, such as microscopy, spectroscopy and scattering techniques. The resulting material will have the potential to be used as drug delivery vectors for the treatment of diseases, for instance cancer.