Dr. Rong Yang
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesia
Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School

"Functional Polymers for Sustainability and Healthcare"

Polymers are macromolecules composed of many repeat units, with applications ranging from energy and sustainability, microfluidics/nanofluidics, electronics, and healthcare. Recent advances in polymer science and technology have enabled nanoscale control of the synthesis, processing, characterization, and assembly of polymers. For the precise synthesis and processing of polymers, we developed an advanced vapor printing platform, namely initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) to form polymer coatings. The iCVD polymers can be readily applied to virtually any substrate: organic, inorganic, rigid, flexible, planar, three-dimensional, dense, or porous. iCVD forms polymer thin films with their thickness controlled precisely in the nanometer to micrometer range. The thin films conform to the surface nano- and microstructures. As an application, the iCVD technology was used to overcome the long-standing issue of biofouling on membranes used in seawater desalination. For the precise characterization and assembly of polymers, we demonstrated how functional block copolymers can be engineered to enable the local treatment of infectious disease. Molecular engineering of the block copolymers was directed by assembly mechanisms elucidated using the powerful suite of small-angle scattering techniques. The resulting treatment eradicated otitis media, the most common pediatric infection in animals carrying the two most common bacterial pathogens isolated from clinical patients: non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The designer self-assembling hydrogel could improve patient compliance, minimize side effects, and prevent systemic distribution of antibiotics in the common pediatric illnesses, minimizing development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. These two examples highlight the importance of understanding and manipulating polymeric materials on the molecular level, and the power of an integrated approach for materials discovery, characterization, and application.