Nano-/Biomaterials Science

The Taton Group researches the interface between nanomaterials science, polymer chemistry, and chemical biology, both as a way of synthesizing new materials with tailorable properties and as a way of manipulating biological molecules and how they interact on the nanometer scale. We develop new nanocomposite materials, biomolecular labels, vehicles for drug delivery, and tools for biological imaging, genomics, and proteomics.

To learn more about who we are and what we do, click on one of the links on the left.

Recent Group News:

(9/5/09) Welcome to Xavier Parra-Carbonell, who is joining us for a semester as a visiting graduate student from the University of Valencia in Spain. Xavier will be studying the use of nanomaterials as carriers in immunization protocols.

Welcome also to Sarah Twomey, an undergrad from the U of M, who will work with Alexi Young on improving our protocols for fabricating crosslinked hydrogels.

(8/27/09) Farewell to Luke and Macklin, who finished their summer research work with us. Macklin returns to Nebraska Wesleyan, and Luke will focus
on his U of M sophomore classwork. We hope you enjoyed your time in the Taton Group!

(6/1/09) A number of undergrads are doing research with us this summer:

Andrew Cleland is working with Kevin Landmark on catalyst-free click chemistry for attaching biomolecules to surfaces;

Luke Heinzen is working on a collaboration with Walt Partlo and Prof. Stephen Campbell (ECE) to develop carbon nanotube films for micromechanical actuators;

Ingrid Surjami is working with Jun Sung Kang on graft copolymers for coating gold surfaces;

and Macklin Warrington, a Lando program undergraduate from Nebraska Wesleyan, is working with Alexi Young on chemically triggered degradation of poly(ethylene glycol) networks.

Welcome to all of you!