Based at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in the Neurobiology Department and the Sealy Institute for Drug Discovery (SIDD), the Koss lab aims to bioengineer and develop peptides and peptide-related biomaterials towards bioengineering the neuroimmune response from CNS neural glia: microglia and astrocytes. In particular, we are interested in understanding and developing peptides for the mediation of glial rejection of implanted biomaterials and glial scar tissue (gliosis), biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease, and hyaluronic acid-mediated wound healing.
The Koss lab employs several cutting edge techniques, including peptide-discovery through phage display, high-throughput cell culture-based microglial and gliotic phenotype development, wireless thermal/bioelectric biosensors, electron transfer in peptides, mitochondrial gene therapeutics, and peptide bioengineering though multi-faceted helical nets, molecular dynamics, and artificial intelligence.
Kyle Koss, PhD
Onur Polat, PhD
Beste Balci Polat, PhD (In progress)
Jordan Beck, BSc (In progress)
Terrance Sereda, MSc
Alejandro Rodriguez, MSc/MBA
If you are interested in peptide and neural tissue engineering, we are always looking for highly motivated volunteers and recruits. Experience in molecular/cell biology and animal work is helpful, but not necessary.
