Joel Collier, Ph.D.

Molecular Biomaterials for Tissue Repair

Research Summary

Research in our laboratory focuses on designing novel synthetic biomaterials and investigating how they may be engineered to direct biological processes. We are particularly interested in understanding how assemblies of proteins, peptides, polymers, and conjugates of these molecules can be constructed into synthetic extracellular matrices capable of directing cell behavior in vitro (e.g. as defined 3-D culture media) or in vivo (e.g. as scaffolds for Regenerative Medicine). Our research questions center around three interconnected areas:

1) Investigating structure-function relationships that determine how molecular design impacts folding and assembly into nanostructures (fibrils, networks, and gels), and how the physical, chemical, mechanical, and biological properties of the assembled material may be subtly modulated through choices in molecular design.

2) Understanding how cells interact with defined synthetic extracellular matrices so that the matrices can be systematically tuned to favor particular cell phenotypes.

3) Understanding how molecular design and assembly state directs tissue-level or organism-level responses. We are primarily interested in understanding how assemblies of peptides and proteins engage inflammatory and immune responses so that they can be engineered to modulate these processes locally. Although these questions and approaches are applicable to many tissues, we are currently focusing on epithelial and endothelial tissues, as these tissues mediate the interfaces of physiology.

Selected Papers

Cho H, Balaji S, Sheikh AQ,Hurley JR, Tian YF, Collier JH, Crombleholme TM, Narmoneva DA. 2012. Regulation of endothelial cell activation and angiogenesis by injectable peptide nanofibers. Acta Biomaterialia 8:154-164.

Rudra JS, Sun T, Bird KC, Daniels MD, Gasiorowski JZ, Chong AS, Collier JH. 2012.  Modulating adaptive immune responses to peptide self-assemblies. ACS Nano 6:1557-64.

Rudra JS, Mishra S, Chong AS, Mitchell R, Nardin EH, Nussenzweig V, and Collier JH.  2012.  Self-assembled peptide nanofibers raising durable antibody responsesagainst a malaria epitope.  Biomaterials (in press, accepted 5/17/12).  

J.P. Jung, J.V. Moyano, and J.H. Collier, “Multifactorial optimization of endothelial cell growth using modular synthetic extracellular matrices,” Integrative Biology, 3,3, 185-196 (2011).  Cover Article

J.H. Collier and T. Segura, “Evolving the use of peptides as components of biomaterials” Invited Leading Opinion paper in Biomaterials, 32(18) 4198-204 (2011).
 
Y. F. Tian, J. M. Devgun, and J. H. Collier, “Fibrillized peptide microgels for cell encapsulation and 3D cell culture, Soft Matter, 7, 6005-6011 (2011).
 
J. Z. Gasiorowski and J. H. Collier, “Directed intermixing in multicomponent self-assembling biomaterials,” Biomacromolecules, in press (2011).

J.S. Rudra, P. Tripathi, D. A. Hildeman, J. P. Jung, and J. H. Collier, “Immune responses to coiled coil supramolecular biomaterials”, Biomaterials, 31, 8475 (2010).   

J.H. Collier, Jai S. Rudra, J.Z. Gasiorowski, and J.P. Jung, ”Multi-component extracellular matrices based on peptide self-assemblies”, Chem Soc Rev, 39, 3413 (2010).

J.P. Jung, J. V. Moyano, and J. H. Collier, “Multifactorial optimization of endothelial cell growth using modular synthetic extracellular matrices, Integrative Biology, in press (2011).

J. S. Rudra, Y. F. Tian, J. P. Jung, and J. H. Collier, "A self-assembling peptide acting as an immune adjuvant," Proc. Natl.  Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 107 (2) 622-627 (2010). PMID: 20080728.

 J.P. Jung, J.Z. Gasiorowski, and J.H. Collier, "Fibrillar peptide gels in biotechnology and biomedicine" Biopolymers, 94(1), 49-59 (2010). PMID: 20091870.

J.P. Jung, A.K. Nagaraj, E.K. Fox, J.S. Rudra, J.M. Devgun, and J.H. Collier, "Co-assembling peptides as defined matrices for endothelial cells," Biomaterials 30(12) 2400-2410 (2009).
 
W.L. Murphy and J.H. Collier, "Self-Assembling Biomaterials," Acta Biomaterialia, 5(3) 803-804 (2009).

P. Jing, J.P. Jung, and J.H. Collier, "Nanostructured Materials Constructed from Polypeptides," in NanoScience in Biomedicine, D. Shi, Editor, Springer, New York (2009). 

Li HC, Collier JH, Shawki A, Rudra JS, Li EY, Mackenzie B, Soleimani M, "Sequence- or position-specific mutations in the carboxyl-terminal FL motif of the kidney sodium bicarbonate cotransporter (NBC1) disrupt its basolateral targeting and alpha-helical structure," J Membr Biol. (2009) Mar;228(2):111-24.

P. Jing, J. S. Rudra, A. B. Herr, and J. H. Collier "Self-assembling peptide polymers designed from the coiled coil region of fibrin" Biomacromolecules
9(9): 2438-46 (2008).

J.H. Collier, "Modular self-assembling biomaterials for directing cellular responses," Soft Matter 4 (12) 2310-2315  (2008).

J.P. Jung, S. A. Cronier, J. L. Jones, and J.H. Collier "Modulating the mechanical properties of self-assembled peptide culture matrices via native chemical ligation," Biomaterials, 29, 2143-2151 (2008).

J.A. Kopechek, T. M. Abruzzo, B. Wang, S.M. Chrzanowski D.A.B. Smith, P. Kee, S.L. Huang, J.H. Collier, D.D. McPherson, C.K. Holland, "Ultrasound-mediated release of hydrophilic and lipophilic agents from echogenic liposomes," Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine 27(11) 1597-1606 (2008).

J. H. Collier and M. Mrksich, "Engineering a Biospecific Communication Pathway Between Cells and Electrodes," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 103 (7), 2021-2025  (2006).

J. H. Collier and P. B. Messersmith, "Nanostructural Tailoring of Self-Assembled Peptide Structures," Advanced Materials, 16 (11), 907-910 (2004). 

J. H. Collier and P. B. Messersmith, "Enzymatic Modification of Self-Assembling Peptide Structures with Tissue Transglutaminase," Bioconjugate Chemistry, 14 (4), 748-755 (2003).

C.H. Thomas, J.H. Collier, C.S. Sfeir, and K.E. Healy, "Engineering Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis by Modulation of Nuclear Shape," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 99(4), 1972-1977 (2002).

J.H. Collier, B.H. Hu, J.W. Ruberti, J. Zhang, P. Shum, D. H. Thompson, and P.B. Messersmith, "Thermally and Photochemically Triggered Self-Assembly of Peptide Hydrogels," Journal of the American Chemical Society, 123, 9463-9464 (2001).

J.H. Collier, J.P. Camp, T.W. Hudson, C.E. Schmidt, "Synthesis and Characterization of Polypyrrole/ Hyaluronic Acid composites for peripheral nerve regeneration," Journal of Biomedical Materials Research  50(4), 574-84 (2000).