Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal Statement
Lau Laboratory for Bioinspired Molecular Interfaces and Nanomaterials
My research aims to establish the design rules for creating synthetic polymers and nanostructures that mimic the structure and function of natural biomolecules. At the same time, since my biomimetic structures would be governed by the same biophysical principles acting on their natural counterparts, I aim to use these structures as physical models to test hypotheses on the functional mechanisms of the natural systems. This fundamental research into the biophysical and materials chemistry of biomimetic molecules will, in the long-term, expand the possibilities of controlling biological interactions and enable improvements in human health and our ability to fashion material functionality at will.
Proteins and their self-assembled structures, which constitute the molecular machinery performing many of life’s chemical processes, are of particular interest. To reduce the level of complexity and enable chemical routes of investigation, I develop synthetic peptidomimetic polymers called “peptoids” which closely mimics the chemical structure and properties of peptides, the biomolecules from which proteins are formed. To mimic larger protein structures, I also employ already available synthetic nanostructures, e.g. nanoparticles and nanoporous membranes, as scaffolds on which biofunctional molecules such as peptoids and others can be attached. This research requires development of new nano-characterization techniques, such as the nanoporous waveguide spectroscopy that I am developing, as well as chemical methods of integrating synthetic materials with biomolecules (i.e. biofunctionalization). I am therefore also developing reactive polyphenols coatingsformed from plant tannins, that can be used to functionalize a diverse range of materials with proteins, peptoids, and other (bio)molecules.
Overall, my research is highly interdisciplinary and exemplifies the rapidly emerging fields of “bioinspired materials” and “biointerfaces”. The research brings together the experimental synthesis of biomimetic molecules and nanostructures, self-assembly and biofunctionalization, as well as biophysical characterization. This expertise may also enable nearer-term applications in biomaterials, sensing (e.g. environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics) and the processing of biomolecules (e.g. purification, biocatalysis).
Expertise & Capabilities
General Areas of Expertise
- Biointerfaces, Cell-Surface and Protein-Surface Interactions
- Nanopores: Transport/Diffusion of Macromolecules
- Polymer Brushes and Hydrogels
- Surface Modification
- Protein and Enzyme Assays, Peptide Characterization
Material Systems under Investigation
- Peptoids: Poly(N-Substituted Glycines)
- Nanoporous Alumina
- Polymer Surface Grafting and Polymerisation
- Polyphenolic/Polycatecholic Coatings
Technical Expertise
- Solid Phase Synthesis
- HPLC, LC-MS, MALDI-MS
- Macromolecular Self-Assembly
- Anodisation
- Radical Polymerisation
- Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Ellipsometry, and Related Surface Optical Measurements
- AFM, XPS, SEM
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Keywords
- Bioinspired Materials
- Nanoporous Membranes/Materials
- Peptoids
- Biomaterials
- Biointerfaces
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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A Sustainably Resourced Advanced Coacervate Material for Rapid Detection of Bacteria
Lau, K. H. A. (Principal Investigator)
1/01/25 → 30/06/26
Project: Research
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Towards practical multifunctional biomaterials: development of anti-infective and pro-endothelialisation vascular graft coatings
Lau, K. H. A. (Principal Investigator) & McCormick, C. (Co-investigator)
Terumo Aortic Limited, Medical Research Scotland
7/10/24 → 6/10/28
Project: Research - Studentship
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A polyphenol-based hydrogel for enabling enhanced metal ion sorption, antimicrobial activity, and water remediation
Jawed, A., Rizvi, A., Çitoğlu, S., Azeem, I., Maclean, M., Golder, A. K., Pandey, L. M., Duran, H., Davidson, C. M. & Lau, K. H. A., 19 May 2025, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. 13, 19, p. 7212-7222 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
2D Interfacial crystallization stabilized by short-chain aliphatic interfaces
Swanson, H. W. A., Barriales, K., Sherman, E. A., Li, T.-D., Kennedy, A. R., Tuttle, T., Ulijn, R. V. & Lau, K. H. A., 25 Mar 2025, In: Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids. 41, 11, p. 7376-7385 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
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Data for: "Biocatalytic Self-Assembly on Magnetic Nanoparticles"
Lau, K. H. A. (Supervisor), Conte, M. P. (Creator), Sahoo, J. (Creator) & Abul-Haija, Y. (Creator), University of Strathclyde, 5 Dec 2017
DOI: 10.15129/54073965-4d54-49db-b24c-67326762e410
Dataset
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Data for: "Atomistic Study of Zwitterionic Peptoid Antifouling Brushes"
Lau, K. H. A. (Contributor) & Cheung, D. (Creator), University of Strathclyde, 14 Dec 2018
DOI: 10.15129/f77d8e17-9832-4263-bc52-400d0a41f72f
Dataset
Prizes
Activities
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Strategic Themes - EPSRC (Critical Mass) - Sustainable & Circular Materials & Manufacturing
Kay, T. (Organiser), O'Hare, M. (Organiser), Felfel, R. (Participant), Oterkus, E. (Participant), Oterkus, S. (Participant), SARKER, S. (Participant), Mariotti, D. (Participant), Tapinos, E. (Participant), Lau, K. H. A. (Participant), Bellingham, R. (Participant), Henderson, K. (Participant), Deans, F. (Participant), Johnston, K. (Participant), Liggat, J. (Participant), Yang, L. (Participant), Minty, R. (Participant), Gangasa Walvekar, R. (Participant), Macdonald, E. (Participant), Vieira de Souza, W. J. (Participant) & Kumar, A. (Participant)
11 Feb 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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Strategic Themes: EPSRC Critical Mass Programmes to Drive a Sustainable Future
Bedford, T. (Organiser), Owens, S. R. (Participant), Bellingham, R. (Participant), Turan, O. (Participant), Fu, Y. (Participant), Zhang, X. (Participant), Ivaturi, A. (Participant), Dai, D. (Participant), Li, J. (Participant), Tapinos, E. (Participant), Zhao, J. (Participant), Kelly, N. (Participant), Werkmeister, A. (Participant), Ijomah, W. (Participant), Macdonald, E. (Participant), Yang, E. (Participant), Robertson, S. (Participant), Gonzalez-Longo, C. (Participant), Moshfeghi, Y. (Participant), Nematiaram, T. (Participant), Pierce, G. (Participant), Calvillo Munoz, C. (Participant), Lau, K. H. A. (Participant) & Moqaddamerad, S. (Participant)
30 Jan 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course