Welcome to Wooley's Group

The Karen L. Wooley Laboratory, July 2008 (from left to right)
(Front Row) Zicheng Li, Ke Zhang, Yali Li, Yun (Lily) Lin, Ritu Shrestha, Jennifer Sorrells, Karen L. Wooley
(Middle Row) Kenya T. Powell, Wenjun (Eric) Du, Nam S. Lee, Guorong Sun, Jun Ma, Rhiannon Iha, Solène Cauët
(Back Row) Ang Li, Jeremy W. Bartels, Peter Billings, Phil Imbesi, Andreas Nyström, Isaac Wooley
Photo by Eileen A. Cler

Our research interests are focused broadly upon the design, synthesis and characterization of unique polymers, with emphasis upon the development of synthetic methodologies that allow for the preparation of complex nanostructured materials. Just as typical synthetic chemists prepare molecules of specific stereochemistry and connectivity, using natural products as the targets to exercise their craft, we are identifying nanoscopic natural products, e.g. viral capsids, lipoproteins, and even dolphin skin, as synthetic targets. We do not attempt, however, to synthesize exactly these structures, but rather, to produce synthetic materials that capture the basic structural and functional elements.