Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering - Archive

Department Chair and Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering

2114 Sweeney Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2230

Phone (515) 294-7407
Fax (515) 294-2689
suryakmiastate.edu

Education
PhD, ChE, Purdue University, 1996
BS, ChE, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, 1993

Teaching/Office Hours Schedule

Honors
Young Alumni Achievement Award, IIT Bombay, 2011
Distinguished Service Award, Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Division,
  AIChE, 2009
Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering, 2009
Fellow, American Association for Advancement of Science, 2008
Member, NIH Study Section, Biomaterials & Biointerfaces, 2006-2010
Mid-Career Excellence in Research Award, ISU Foundation, 2007
Big 12 Rising Star Award, 2007
Invited participant, National Academy of Engineering, Frontiers in Engineering
   Conference, 2006
Fellow, AIMBE, 2006
Global Indus Technovator Award, 2003
Named by MIT's Technology Review Magazine as one of the World's Top 100 Young
   Innovators, 2002
3M Non-tenured Faculty Award, 2001
Early Achievement in Research Award, ISU Foundation, 2001
NSF Faculty Early CAREER Award, 2000
Andrews Graduate Fellowship, Purdue University, 1993-95

Research Interests
Our research program is focused on designing polymeric biomaterials and bioinspired materials. Our current focus areas are:

Smart Polymers for Gene Delivery: We have designed and synthesized novel smart bioinspired multi-block copolymers that exhibit pH and temperature sensitivity. These polymers are cationic and undergo thermoreversible gelation at body temperatures These cationic polymers exhibit complexation with DNA and serve as excellent injectable controlled gene delivery vectors for cancer therapies. These polymers can be used as injectable sustained gene delivery. These copolymers also exhibit selective transfection in cancer cells.

Polymers for Vaccine Delivery: This new project focuses on developing sustained vaccine delivery devices for single-dose vaccines. We have attached carbohydrate targeting moieties to our smart copolymeric nanoscale delivery systems for targeted delivery of protein and DNA vaccines. The block copolymers act as effective adjuvants  to stimulate both immune pathways.

Bioinspired Nanocomposites: This multi-investigator project focuses on growing magnetic nanocrystals using our hierarchically self-assembled polymers described above, using aptamers and mineralization proteins. This approach aims to recreate the structure of magnetite nanocrystals embedded in organic tissue seen in many different living species, that confers super-paramagnetic properties. The combination of the “soft” mechanical properties of the polymer with the strong magnetic response of the magnetite offers new materials properties.

Nanoparticles for Co-localization of Multiple Enzymes: We are using a combination of self-assembling polymers that form micelles and biodegradable polyanhydride nanoparticles to serve as co-localization substrates for multiple enzymes. Co-localization of these enzymes is very important because of the reactive intermediates in the reactions involving multi-enzyme complexes.

Neural Tissue Engineering and Control of Stem Cell Differentiation: Our approach involves utilizing a combination of physical, chemical, biological and electrical cues on polymer substrates to enhance guided nerve regeneration and control adult stem cell differentiation. Our recent work has showed that physical cues in the form of micropatterned substrates, in synergy with other cues such as electrical, preferentially cause rat adult neural stem cells to adopt a neuronal fate as opposed to cells grown on smooth substrates.

Selected Recent Publications
Ariza, C., Fleury, A., Tormos, C., Petruk, V., Chawla, S., Sakaguchi, D., and Mallapragada, S.K., “The Effect of Electric Fields on Hippocampal Neural Progenitor Cells”, Stem Cell Rev. Reports, 6, 585-600 (2010).

Blong, C., Ye, E., Jeon, C.-J., Oh, J., Callahan, J. M., Law, W.D., Mallapragada, S.K., and Sakaguchi, D.S., “Differentiation and Behavior of Human Neural Progenitor Cells on Micropatterned Substrates”, J. Neuro. Res., 88, 1445-1456 (2010).

Zhang, B., Kanapathipillai, M., Bisso, P., and Mallapragada, S.K., “Novel Pentablock Copolymers for Selective Gene Delivery to Cancer Cells”, Pharm. Res., 26, 700-713 (2009). Invited article

Wilson, J.H., Torres, M. P., Kipper, M.J., Mallapragada, S.K., Wannemuehler, M. J. and Narasimhan, B., " Vaccine Adjuvants: Current Challenges and Future Approaches," J. Pharm. Sci., 98, 1278-1316 (2009).

Hu, Y., Yusufoglu, Y., Kanapathipillai, M., Yang, C.Y., Wu, Y., Thiyagarajan, P., Deming, T., Akinc, M., Schmidt-Rohr, K. and Mallapragada, S.K., “Self-assembled Calcium Phosphate Nanocomposites Using Block Copolypeptide Templates”, Soft Matter, 5, 4311-20 (2009).

Agarwal, A., Unfer, R. C., and Mallapragada, S.K., “Dual-Role Self-Assembling Nanoplexes for Efficient Gene Transfection and Sustained Gene Delivery”, Biomaterials, 29, 607-617 (2008).

Prozorov, T., Mallapragada, S.K., Narasimhan, B., Nilsen-Hamilton, M., Williams, T. J., Bazylinski, D., Prozorov, R., and Canfield, P.C., “Protein-Mediated Synthesis of Superparamagnetic Magnetite Nanocrystals”, Adv. Func. Mater., 17, 951-57 (2007).

Prozorov, T., Wang, L., Palo, P., Nilsen-Hamilton-M, Jones, D., Orr, D., Mallapragada, S., Narasimhan, B., and Prozorov, R., “Cobalt Ferrite Nanocrystals: Outperforming Magnetotactic Bacteria”, ACS Nano, 1, 228-233 (2007).

_4-5-11