« Faculty Index

David Oupicky

993-7669
oupicky@wayne.edu

Area of Interest
We are interested in the design and development of nano-sized systems for delivery of drugs, genes, and imaging agent. We are currently investigating the use of self-assembling nanoparticles for delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids. The main focus of these studies is on nanoparticles responsive to a range of endogenous and external stimuli, including redox-potential and pH-gradients, ultrasound, and hyperthermia. We are also investigating the use of thin nanofilms for local gene delivery; the use of porous inorganic nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery and imaging; and the use of polymer-drug conjugates for targeted drug delivery and imaging.

Resources

• Laser light scattering instrumentation: (1) Dynamic light scattering for measurement of hydrodynamic sizes of nanoparticles and macromolecules. (2) Electrophoretic light scattering for measurement of surface charge of nanoparticles and macromolecules. (3) Multi-angle static light scattering for measurement of molecular weights, sizes, and solvent interactions of nanoparticles and macromolecules.
• Applications of the light scattering techniques: determination of size and molecular weights of nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, polymers, proteins, nucleic acids; protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions; protein aggregation; protein crystallization; protein modification etc.
• Size exclusion chromatography (GPC) (aqueous, organic) with absolute molecular weight characterization by a combination of light scattering and refractive index detection.
• Polymer synthesis and purification

Collaboration Interests:
We are looking for collaborators with expertise in a variety of specific disease models interested in applications of nanotechnology