S. Thai Thayumanavan

Interested in translating novel polymer-based molecular assemblies into innovative materials to make a lasting impact in biomedical and sustainability applications.  For example, we are developing fundamental guidelines on the structural features in molecular components of the assemblies that make the self-assembled materials predictably respond to a specific environmental change.   Such an understanding has far-reaching implications in a variety of areas, including therapeutic delivery, sensing and diagnostics.  The intellectual starting point of our work is the novel molecular design, which is often inspired either by a specific gap in the fundamental understanding of supramolecular assembly and disassembly events or by a specific societal or commercial need.