Vincent Rotello

Goessmann Professor of Chemistry, University Distinguished Professor

Our research encompasses multiple applications of nanomaterials in therapeutic delivery for both mammalian and microbial targets.

Current Research

We have developed a set of delivery vectors that employ a novel membrane fusion process to provide direct delivery of proteins and nucleic acids directly to the cell cytosol. This process avoids the challenges of endosomal entrapment, providing much more efficient delivery than standard systems. We have used these vectors for siRNA delivery for anti-inflammatory applications. We have also applied these systems to highly effective Cas9/guide RNA delivery for CRISPR editing both in vitro and systemically in vivo.

 

Concurrect with our mammalian work, we have created highly effective nanotherapeutics against wound biofilms. These systems combine biofilm-penetrating polymers with naturally-occurring essential oils to penetrate and eradicate biofilms in vitro and in vivo.

Learn more at elements.chem.umass.edu/rotellogroup/

Academic Background

  • BSc (Honors) Illinois Institute of Technology, 1985
  • MPhil Yale University, 1987
  • PhD Yale University, 1990
  • Postdoctoral Training: NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship MIT, 1990
Gupta, A.; Landis, R. F.; Li, C. H.; Schnurr, M.; Das, R.; Lee, Y. W.; Yazdani, M.; Liu, Y.; Kozlova, A.; Rotello, V. M. "Engineered Polymer Nanoparticles with Unprecedented Antimicrobial Efficacy and Therapeutic Indices against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria and Biofilms" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 12137-12143.
Jiang, Y.; Hardie, J.; Liu, Y. C.; Ray, M.; Luo, X.; Das, R.; Landis, R. F.; Farkas, M. E.; Rotello, V. M. "Nanocapsule-mediated cytosolic siRNA delivery for anti-inflammatory treatment" J. Control. Release 2018, 283, 235-240.
Landis, R. F.; Li, C. H.; Gupta, A.; Lee, Y. W.; Yazdani, M.; Ngernyuang, N.; Altinbasak, I.; Mansoor, S.; Khichi, M. A. S.; Sanyal, A.; Rotello, V. M., Biodegradable Nanocomposite Antimicrobials for the Eradication of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Biofilms without Accumulated Resistance. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 6176-6182.
Ray, M.; Lee, Y. W.; Hardie, J.; Mout, R.; Tonga, G. Y.; Farkas, M. E.; Rotello, V. M. "CRISPRed Macrophages for Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapy" Bioconjugate Chem. 2018, 29, 445-450.
Mout, R.; Ray, M.; Tonga, G. Y.; Lee, Y. W.; Tay, T.; Sasaki, K.; Rotello, V. M. "Direct Cytosolic Delivery of CRISPR/Cas9-Ribonucleoprotein for Efficient Gene Editing" ACS Nano 2017, 11, 2452-2458.
 
Contact Info

Department of Chemistry
379 LGRT Tower C
710 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01003

(413) 545-2058
rotello@chem.umass.edu

elements.chem.umass.edu/rotellogroup/