SQI member Guillermo Ameer was highlighted as a “Researcher to Know” by the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC), whose annual list recognizes faculty across the state who have made a significant impact in their field. Ameer has pioneered the development of citrate-based biomaterials, now used in FDA-cleared tissue fixation devices, and was one of three researchers listed in the ISTC’s medical technology category.

SQI director Samuel Stupp has been elected to the Latin American Academy of Sciences (ACAL), the Academy announced. A native of Costa Rica, Stupp was recognized for leveraging supramolecular chemistry and the self-assembly of organic molecules to develop materials with biological functionality, among other efforts.

Using a novel method to arrange molecules, researchers led by SQI member Nathan Gianneschi have created a material that outperforms the extraordinarily strong glue secreted by mussels. Their findings expand on how these protein-like polymers can be used as a platform to create new materials and therapeutics.

“The polymer could be used as an adhesive in a biomedical context, which means now you could stick it to a specific tissue in the body and keep other molecules nearby in one place, which would be useful in wound healing or repair,” Gianneschi said.

Researchers led by SQI member Shana Kelley have developed a new tool to harness immune cells from tumors to fight cancer rapidly and effectively.

Their findings, published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, showed a dramatic shrinkage of tumors in mice compared to traditional cell therapy methods. With a novel microfluidic device that could be 3D printed, the team multiplied, sorted through and harvested hundreds of millions of cells, recovering 400% more of the tumor-eating cells than current approaches.