General Goal

1. RUI: Silica-based Materials with Improved BiocompatibilityDaryl K. Eggers, San José State University Foundation, DMR 1005442 General Goal The Eggers Laboratory is making glass materials of high biocompatibility by incorporating hydrophilic chemical groups found on the surfaces of biological molecules. Preliminary Findings Fig. 1 Hypothetical pore inside a glass modified with phosphate groups. A protein is in the center (dark blue), and the other colors represent different subpopulations of water which influence the protein structure. • Negatively-charged, positively-charged, and uncharged hydrophilic functional groups have been incorporated into silica materials. • All silica samples yield improvements in the structure of an encapsulated model protein at relatively low percent modification. • All modifications have a negligible effect on the extent of protein adsorption to silica, although adsorption is highly protein specific. Future Experiments Fig. 2 Circular dichroism spectra of a model protein inside modified glasses of different composition. The more negative the ellipticity value, the more helical the protein structure. In the coming year, new glasses will be made that combine two or more of the most promising modification reagents.

2. RUI: Silica-based Materials with Improved BiocompatibilityDaryl K. Eggers, San José State University Foundation, DMR 1005442 Student Participation The bulk of this research project is being completed by undergraduate research students who present their results at local and regional scientific conferences. In addition, the Eggers Laboratory sponsors a local high school chemistry teacher each summer who trains and works side-by-side with the students. Current Research Team (pictured clockwise from top left) Yamah Amiri Clayton Niehaus (HS teacher) Phillip Calabretta Mitchell Chancellor