Heilshorn's interests include biomaterials in regenerative medicine, engineered proteins with novel assembly properties, microfluidics and photolithography of proteins, and synthesis of materials to influence stem cell differentiation. Current projects include tissue engineering for spinal cord and blood vessel regeneration, designing injectable materials for use in stem cell therapies, and the design of biomaterials for culture of patient-derived biopsies and organoids.
My research interests lie at the interface between chemistry and biology. While ongoing research in my lab focuses on multiple problems, all of these efforts are motivated by the twin goals of shining light on fundamentally new molecular mechanisms in biology and leveraging these insights to address unmet challenges in human health. Two examples of ongoing research themes in my lab are outlined below:
We are interested in identifying novel pathways that enable cellular and organismal adaptation to metabolic stress and changes in environmental conditions. We also study how these pathways go awry in human diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration and metabolic syndrome, in order to engineer new therapeutic modalities.
My laboratory is focused broadly on plant chemistry and is deeply invested in pathway discovery. Despite the important roles of plant natural products in plant and human health, very few complete plant biosynthetic pathways are known. This lack of knowledge limits our understanding of natural product mode of action in plants and prevents access to engineered pathways.
The Mai Research Group engineers biopolymers, which are the building materials of life. We seek to develop functional biomaterials and to enhance understanding in the physics of soft materials. Molecular-scale biopolymer design presents a unique opportunity to rationally design materials based on biomolecular templates. Moreover, biopolymer engineering incorporates the rich functional landscape of biological systems into responsive biomaterials.
Skin-inspired electronics, stretchable, self-healing and biodegradable electronic materials and devices, wearable electronics, implantable electronics, polymer for battery applications, conductive metal-organic-framework, high surface area carbon materials, carbon nanotube electronics, organic transistors, sensors, solar cells, soft electronics for neuro-interface
Research in this laboratory focuses on problems where deep insights into enzymology and metabolism can be harnessed to improve human health.
