Research Areas

Kim Research Group develops next-generation polymeric materials by combining biopolymer design and synthesis, polymer physics, (macro)molecular self-assembly, biomolecular engineering, and soft materials fabrication. We focus on translating molecular-level insights into functional systems that address pressing challenges in healthcare, environmental safety, and national defense. 

Our research is organized into three core programs: 

Program 1: Red Blood Cell-Inspired Biosynthetic Microparticles
We engineer clearance-resistant, stress-responsive microparticles using protein design and synthesis, protein nanomechanics, and cytoskeletal-mimetic network assembly. Inspired by the long circulation lifetime, mechanical resilience, and deformability of red blood cells, this program establishes design principles for protein-based microparticles that can evade biological clearance, adapt to filtering organs, and respond to disease-relevant mechanical stresses. These particles are being developed as therapeutic carriers, synthetic red blood cell surrogates, and mechanically tunable soft-material scaffolds. This program is supported by an NSF CAREER Award and an NIH/NIGMS Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA R35).  

Program 2: Recombinant Keratin Coatings for Stable Interfaces in Percutaneous Devices
Inspired by the natural integration of soft skin and hard fingernails, we develop self-assembled nanomaterials based on recombinant human keratin that can be coated onto percutaneous osseointegrated prosthetics (POP) to prevent epidermal downgrowth and infection. Beyond POP systems, this platform is expected to be extended to other percutaneous devices, including dental implants, neural interfaces, and emerging human–robot interfaces. This work has been performed in collaboration with Prof. Mark Van Dyke (Biomedical Eng., University of Arizona) and Prof. Sujee Jeyapalina (Surgery, University of Utah and Salt Lake City VA), and supported by CDMRP and AZ TRIF Health grants. 

Program 3: Eco-Friendly Surface-Active Materials for Fugitive Dust Control
We develop environmentally friendly formulations for site-adaptive dust mitigation using biopolymers and bioinspired glycolipids. These materials are designed and characterized at the bench and validated through field deployment, supporting a translational path toward sustainable air quality solutions. This work has been conducted in collaboration with Profs. Raina Maier and David Hogan (Environmental Sci., University of Arizona), in partnership with GlycoSurf LLC, and supported by USDA and NIEHS grants.   

By establishing structure–property–processing–performance relationships across multiple length scales—from molecular sequence to macroscopic function—we aim to construct bioinspired soft materials that are application-ready, clinically viable, and environmentally sustainable.