Peptide-functionalized Materials for Biomedical Applications

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

2:30 PM-4:00 PM

BIOMED Seminar

Title:
Peptide-functionalized Materials for Biomedical Applications
    
Speaker:
Sebastián L. Vega, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Cooper Medical School
Rowan University

Details:
Peptides are short amino acid sequences that can be used to tune the biochemical properties of both soft and rigid materials. This seminar will present two stories demonstrating how peptide-functionalized hydrogels and plastics can be applied in biomedicine. The first story will describe our lab's design of soft hydrogels that expose encapsulated cells to peptides that either (1) enhance bone differentiation or (2) activate cells with peptide-sensing receptors – the audience decides!

In the second story, I will discuss our recent efforts in designing a novel antimicrobial pro-peptide (AMPP) to prevent catheter-associated infections. These AMPP's are functionalized into plastics using a novel blending technique that we developed and become active only in the presence of pathogenic bacteria, offering a targeted and innovative solution to infection prevention. Due to their versatility, peptide-functionalized materials hold significant promise for applications in regenerative medicine and infection prevention.

Biosketch:
Sebastián L. Vega, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Cooper Medical School's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, both at Rowan University. Since 2018, Dr. Vega's research has focused on developing tools to better understand how cells interact with engineered environments and  in creating tunable materials for applications in cell manufacturing and regenerative medicine. His work has been funded by the NSF, NIH, Camden Health Research Initiative, Cooper Foundation, and the Foundation Venture Capital Group. Sebastian is also a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award.

As a Chilean native, Sebastian is committed to providing students from all backgrounds with the mentorship and guidance that played a pivotal role in his journey. He is the Director of the RISER (Research Immersion in biomedical Science and Engineering at Rowan) and BEAM (Bioengineering And Me) programs, which have engaged over 200 high school students. RISER is a 6-week in-person program, where students conduct cutting-edge research, which they then present during the culminating RISER Symposium. BEAM is a 2-week virtual program that introduces students to biomedical engineering and concludes with interactive trivia games for chances to win BEAM-branded t-shirts and hats.

Contact Information

Carolyn Riley
cr63@drexel.edu