Joan and Irwin Jacobs Chancellor Professor
Chair, Department of Nano and Chemical Engineering
University of California San Diego
Dr. Liangfang Zhang is Joan and Irwin Jacobs Chancellor Professor and Chair of the Department of Nanoengineering at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Zhang received his B.E. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University, and his Ph.D. in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006 under the supervision of Prof. Steve Granick. He was a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Prof. Robert Langer at MIT during 2006-2008. He joined the Department of Nanoengineering at UC San Diego as an Assistant Professor in 2008 and was promoted to Professor in 2014. His research aims to create cutting-edge biomimetic nanotechnologies and exploit them for various biomedical applications with a particular focus on biomimetic nanodelivery and biological neutralization. He has published 280 peer-reviewed articles and was among the Clarivate Analytics list of “Highly Cited Researcher” during 2017-2023. He is an inventor of 120 patents and patent applications worldwide. Professionally, Dr. Zhang was elected to the Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) in 2015, the Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2018, and the Fellows of National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in 2020.
Biomimetic Microrobots for Active Drug Delivery and Decontamination
Abstract
Over the past decade, researchers have delved into unlocking the potential of self-propelled microrobots for biomedical applications. Recent advancements have shifted the focus towards the use of biocompatible and natural materials to develop biomimetic microrobots, unlocking unique advantages for in vivo operations such as enhanced drug delivery, profound tissue imaging, and precise microsurgery. This presentation will shed light on the fusion of cell membrane coating technology with self-propelled micromotors, spawning biohybrid microrobots. These ingenious microrobots actively ferry drugs to specific cells and tissues while purging the environment of cell-specific toxins and pathogens. This talk will highlight two distinctive biohybrid microrobots: cell membrane-functionalized microrobots and cellular nanoparticle-modified microrobots. These biohybrid microrobots combines the microrobot motility with the cell-mimicking interfacial properties, leading to a wide range of biomedical applications.