Sarah Perry

Current Research
Research in the Perry Lab utilizes self-assembly, molecular design, and microfluidic technologies to generate biologically relevant microenvironments to study and enable the implementation of biomolecules to address real-world challenges. Individually, microfluidics represents an enabling technology for small volume, high-throughput analyses, while control over molecular interactions in self-assembling polyelectrolyte systems can be used to examine the interplay between biomacromolecules and the intracellular environment. Together, these capabilities can be coupled to generate artificial organelle-like structures for use in applications ranging from biochemistry to biocatalysis, drug delivery, and biomedicine.

The use of proteins, viruses, and other biomolecules in real-world applications such as vaccines, biocatalysis, and biosensors requires an understanding of how these moieties interact with their environment.  For instance, proteins within cells are functional at very high temperatures, while purified proteins typically require refrigeration in order to remain stable.  We seek to use self-assembling biomimetic polymers to understand and recapitulate the stabilizing conditions found inside of living cells.  This research will benefit from the use of high-throughput microfluidic assays and from the predictive power of molecular simulations and theoretical models.  Our goal is to enhance the thermal stability of proteins and viruses for a variety of applications, including vaccines and therapeutics.

Learn more at www.umass.edu/perry/

Academic Background

• BS University of Arizona, Chemical Engineering, 2002
• BS University of Arizona, Chemistry, 2003
• MS University of Arizona, Chemical Engineering, 2005
• PhD University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, 2010
• Post-Doctoral Training University of California at Berkeley, Bioengineering
• Post-Doctoral Training University of Chicago, Institute for Molecular Engineering