Enzyme-mediated modification of peptide hydrogels to tailor them for drug delivery and tissue engineering

This biotechnology project which is conducted in collaboration with the custom peptide synthesis company Pepceuticals, will involve the synthesis of small peptides, known to self-assemble into hydrogels capable of either encapsulating drugs or supporting mammalian cell growth and modifying a proportion of these peptides to provide additional anchor points, chemical queues and other functionality that will significantly enhance the capabilities of the hydrogel. These modifications will be conducted using either enzyme-mediated processes or a variety of bioconjugation methods. The scaffolds produced will find future uses in regenerative medicine and wound healing.