Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D.
Her nanoparticle research has many applications
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Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D. Her nanoparticle research has many applications |
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Making connections Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D., says much of her success comes from the hard-working students in her lab By Terri McClain
Ask her what she likes about her job, and she'll tell you the people rank right up there with the subject matter. The science is innovative, highly disciplined and difficult to explain in lay terms, but as Wooley is quick to point out, it's the gifted people in her lab who make it happen. "I generate ideas and I then mentor the Ph.D. students in the lab," Wooley says, "and really much of the recognition that is thrown in my direction is because of all of the hard work of these students." Wooley grew up in a small logging community in the mountains of Oregon, the "rebellious middle child" of working-class parents who encouraged her active curiosity about science and the workings of the natural world. Going to college was never a question, she says. It was simply understood to follow after high school. "I took as much science and math as was offered, including two years of chemistry in high school," Wooley says. "Chemistry was a subject that I enjoyed quite well because it allowed for an understanding of everything from a molecular perspective. Chemistry brings together scientific curiosity with mathematics and at the same time allows for not only the gaining of an understanding of matter but also the manipulation of matter."
"I was drawn to polymer chemistry because it is an area of chemistry that is fundamental," Wooley says. "But it also has an applied sense that is valuable to society in general." Since coming to the University in 1993, Wooley has focused much of her polymer research on synthetic nanoparticles (a nanometer is roughly one-billionth of a yard), called "knedels" because of their resemblance to the Polish dumpling. What makes the knedels special is that Wooley and her colleagues stabilized the interior portion, thus allowing crosslinking actions to occur only in the outer shell of the particle. "No one had done this, so this was really considered to be highly innovative," Wooley says. "And from there, again with really excellent students, we've been able to excavate the core. We've shown that we can cause molecules to go inside the shell so that these knedel nanostructures really can serve as hosts or vessels to carry cargo. "So now we're bringing all of this together and ultimately expect to be able to engineer these materials to the point where they can be truly intelligent drug and gene therapy delivery systems. "The thought is that if a synthetic material can be of similar size (10-100 nanometers in diameter) to lipoproteins and viruses, then they will be able to circulate in the body for a long period of time without being rapidly cleared by the immune system," Wooley continues. "What we're attempting to do is make synthetic structures that can mimic, both in size and in structure and function, things like lipoproteins and viruses." Maisie Joralemon, a third-year doctoral student in Wooley's lab, works on the nanoparticle project. She's putting a cocktail of antibiotics inside spherical particles, which are specifically targeted at E. coli bacteria. In addition to delivering the antibiotics, the nanoparticles are being designed to "suck up" the toxins released by the dead bacteria and safely eliminate them from the body.
The knedels' potential extends beyond biomedical applications. Wooley and her research group also are exploring their use in building composite materials, for example. The research team always numbers about a dozen people, and each one works on his or her own project. The group's collaborations extend to departments as diverse as radiology in the School of Medicine and earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences. Not all of the group's projects are related to nanoparticles. And projects can take unusual turns as well. One study yielded an unexpected side reaction that opened an entire new area of research. Chakra Gudipati, a fourth-year doctoral student from India, has been following up on it. "This project is funded by the Navy," Gudipati says. "We're working on coatings that can prevent their ship hulls from being corroded by marine organisms. It's been great fun so far. "I was interested in polymer chemistry and, after thorough research, I found that Karen is one of the best in the field, and that's when I decided to apply to Washington University. She is a person who respects the students' opinions, and she encourages us all the time." Joseph J.H. Ackerman, Ph.D., the William Greenleaf Eliot Professor and chair of the chemistry department, says, "Karen is a first-tier scientist whose research bridges the interface between synthetic organic chemistry, nanomaterials development, and biological compatibility and function. She has worked tirelessly for Arts & Sciences as a skilled teacher, as an undergraduate- and graduate-student mentor and as a member of select committees. "Karen brings a wonderful sense of excitement and drive to her work. Her research accomplishments have earned her an international reputation. The department is very fortunate to have her on the team."
"My work is my hobby," Wooley says. "I really love chemistry, and I really love the research that we do, and I really love this job because I'm able to teach and conduct research and write papers for publication. I'm able to go out on the road and travel and present the research results." She credits the University administration with recognizing the importance of personal interaction in higher education. "I have several long-term goals, and they are as varied as the duties of the job," she says. "One is to continue providing undergraduate students with a solid foundation in the area of organic chemistry so they can go off and explore their own career paths. Another goal is to mentor these students who are carrying out their Ph.D. dissertation research in my laboratory so that they are well prepared as independent scientists to go off and investigate exciting new areas of research. "It's my job to mentor," she continues. "No one can do everything alone. No one is an island. What has to be done is for a person to make the appropriate connections and find the appropriate mentors and just work as hard as possible. Then anyone can accomplish anything, no matter who they are." |
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