(168g) Characterizing Micellar Assembly of Oligonucleotides with Polyelectrolytes

Polyelectrolytes serve as robust building blocks for self-assembled nanoparticles and customizable materials. Neutral-charged block copolymers can assemble with charged macromolecules to form micelles with a dilute neutral block corona. Proteins encapsulated with such polymers are protected and stabilized and can be released under programmed conditions. Still, there is much to learn about the material properties and dynamics of these hybrid assemblies and how they react to mechanical and chemical signals. This work uses biocompatible copolymers to encapsulate charged proteins into micelles with programmable functionality. A library of polymers and proteins allows us to define density and complexity of our assemblies as we study stability and tune the release of cargo under a range of conditions. Investigating physical properties and kinetics will help develop a system useful for triggered release of therapeutic payloads.