William Gramlich

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2012
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Maine, 2006

Research Interests

In our lab we use polymer chemistry and engineering to develop new materials for biomedical applications. We typically work with biomaterials like hydrogels to mimic the extracellular matrix to interact with cells and proteins controlling their fate to affect biological functions. Two specific areas of interest are outlined below.

Using hydrogels to control cell fate

Cells respond to numerous mechanical, topological, and chemical cues from their surroundings (i.e. extracellular matrix) to determine their behavior. Stem cells sense the mechanical and chemical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) to help direct their differentiation to adult cell lines and cancer cells sense the mechanics around them to dictate their proliferation. Hydrogels are an excellent synthetic mimic of the ECM and can be tuned to study cell fate. Since cells in the body are structured into tissues with micrometer scale spacing, researchers rely on photopatterning the mechanical properties and molecules of interest in hydrogels to mimic this behavior. In our lab we work on orthogonal chemistry to independently pattern mechanical properties and chemicals in hydrogels, providing new systems for temporal and spatial control of properties. Additionally, we work on new hydrogel systems that enable 3D printing of hydrogels and implement sustainable materials into these biomaterials.

Using hydrogels to understand protein interactions

Although much is known about glycan-binding proteins (GBPs), a molecular-level understanding of their involvement in human health is still lacking because in vivo systems are too complex for existing interrogation methods while in vitro systems poorly recapitulate the in vivo environment. Well-designed synthetic materials provide a way in which to control the presentation of glycans with complete control of the physical and chemical properties in biologically relevant three dimensions. Glycans are a critical class of biomacromolecules that have been particularly challenging to investigate in a controlled fashion, which leaves unanswered questions for drug development, virulence, and fundamental biological processes. In our lab we work on creating hydrogels that provide a method to analyze GBP binding to specific glycans in three dimensions. These new biomaterials enable us to investigate glycan-glycan binding protein interactions in in vivo relevant 3D to answer fundamental questions regarding glycan function. These new tools provide improved understanding of the roles that glycans play in human physiology and disease.

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Selected Publications