Designing Complex Microgels for Drug delivery and Sensing.
Microgels are solvent swollen polymeric networks that can be tuned, functionalized, and modified for a wide variety of biomedical applications. In this project, we plan to design complex microgels with different structural properties with functional groups. This study will help design superior microgel systems that can carry drugs and deliver them on demand.

Complex Microgel Assembly for Assessing Bacterial Stress Related Chemical and Physical Changes.
Microgels have an incredible ability to change shape, size and trigger osmotic deswelling/swelling depending on the external environment. Bacteria grows in constantly changing environments that can suddenly become completely depleted of essential nutrients triggering the stringent response, mediated by the alarmone (p)ppGpp. Use of specifically modified microgels can help us know how this process in bacteria modulates structural change and which chemical changes are needed inside and outside of bacterial cells for survival.

Chromophore-Based Microgel Assembly as Sensors and Antimicrobial Surfaces.
Use of responsive chromophores is one of the best ways to develop colorimetric sensors for instant detection without any extra technological and expert setup. Combining the chemistry of chromophore and a microgels’ ability to sense minute changes in its environment, we will develop surfaces capable of changing color in the presence of specific analytes, including toxic gas and toxic metal ions. We plan to develop anti-bacterial and antifouling surfaces based on similar methods.