About

Jan Genzer is the Principal Investigator at The Genzer Lab, located within the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. He holds a B.S. degree in Materials Science and Chemical Engineering from the Prague Institute of Chemical Technology, earned in 1989, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, completed in 1996. The information provided on the page primarily lists members of the lab, including research professors, scholars, students, alumni, and visitors, along with their educational backgrounds and current positions. However, the page does not include specific details about Professor Genzer's research focus, scientific contributions, or professional biography beyond his educational credentials and role as Principal Investigator.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Composite material
• Artificial Intelligence
• Chemical engineering
• Organic chemistry
• Chemistry
• Optoelectronics
• Optics
• Physics
• Engineering
• Biology
• Polymer science
• Biochemical engineering
• Business
• Polymer chemistry
• Telecommunications
• Microbiology
• Metallurgy
• Chromatography
• Ecology
• Medicine
• Biochemistry

Selected publications

• Rheology and interactions of whey protein isolate with galactomannans

  Food Hydrocolloids · 2026-03-28

  articleOpen access

  This study examines the influence of thermal denaturation time and shear on the interactions and gelation behavior of whey protein isolate (WPI) combined with either of two plant-based galactomannans, guar gum (GG) or locust bean gum (LBG). WPI gelation at 80 °C under a shear rate of 20 s -1 produces a three-dimensional crosslinked network, with the incorporation of GG and LBG further enhancing its elastic modulus ( G' ). An optimal denaturation time of 15 min maximized gel strength for both WPI and WPI+LBG, whereas WPI+GG exhibited a high and nearly invariant G' across varying denaturation times, highlighting its robust network structure. Shear-rate dependent experiments reveal G' increases with shear rate, particularly in WPI+LBG, which formed a more interconnected bi-continuous network. Confocal imaging with fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis indicates that GG primarily increased matrix viscosity, while LBG promotes gelation through phase separation and structural reinforcement. Temperature cycling experiments reveal irreversible structural modifications, with additional elasticity observed upon reheating. The activation energy for gelation, determined using Arrhenius-type analysis, is consistent across all systems, indicating that the fundamental gelation mechanism is unaffected by the presence of the gums. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) reveals segregative interactions between WPI and the galactomannans, highlighting their role in gel reinforcement without altering protein denaturation pathways. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the synergistic potential of incorporating GG and LBG into WPI hydrogels, offering valuable insights for the design of tailored biopolymer systems in food and materials science. • Examined interactions between whey protein & galactomannans using multiprong approach • Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and confocal imaging complement rheology • ITC provides thermodynamic evidence of segregation-driven protein gelation • Locust bean gum reinforces protein gels, while guar gum acts as a passive thickener • Gelation mechanism independent of temperature

  PublisherDOI

• PDMS aqueous leachates cause acute toxicity in <i>C. elegans</i>

  Lab on a Chip · 2026-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  as a whole-animal model. We demonstrate that uncrosslinked vinyl-terminated PDMS (v-PDMS) chains, which comprise the majority of a PDMS network and are known to diffuse into aqueous environments, cause acute, environmentally-dependent toxicity. Low-molecular-weight v-PDMS (6 kDa) caused mild lethality in nutrient-rich S-medium (SM) but significantly higher mortality in minimal S-buffer (SB), showing that media composition strongly influences toxic effects. Adding cholesterol, calcium, or magnesium notably reduced v-PDMS-induced lethality, whereas trace metals increased it. Using a DAF-16::GFP reporter strain, we show that cholesterol influences organismal stress responses to v-PDMS exposures. Progeny from starved parents showed full resistance to v-PDMS, suggesting transgenerational stress memory plays a role in reducing PDMS toxicity. We also find that linear siloxanes cause modest but significant lethality, whereas cyclic siloxanes do not. The crosslinker TDSS, however, provides partial protection when present with v-PDMS, revealing diverse biological effects among PDMS network precursors. Overall, these results show that PDMS-derived components are not universally harmless and that susceptibility depends greatly on environmental conditions, sterol levels, and physiological history. Our findings emphasize the importance of carefully evaluating PDMS formulations for biomedical use and offer a framework for assessing polymer leachate toxicity in living organisms.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Using Hydrogel Reactors

  Langmuir · 2026-04-02

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is a controlled radical polymerization method that enables the synthesis of tailored polymeric materials with low dispersity, highlighting its immense potential for green fabrication of advanced materials. However, its broader implementation is limited by challenges in product isolation, maintaining catalyst activity, and mitigating atmospheric sensitivity arising from oxygen-sensitive metal catalysts. Here, gelatin hydrogels (GHs) are introduced as a soft "reactor" matrix for interfacial ATRP, operating with minimal metal-catalyst loading while exhibiting possibly an organoreductive behavior. This strategy leverages activator regeneration via electron transfer through a ligand-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) mechanism to reduce oxidized metal catalysts within the GH network. Polymerization is evaluated by growing polymer brushes at an active interface formed between GHs swollen in monomer solution and an initiating surface, and sequential growth experiments confirmed that GH-mediated ATRP preserves living character. Under UV illumination, LMCT is activated, producing polymers both at the desired interface and within the GH bulk. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed active reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) along with concentration-dependent complex formation, indicating dynamic coordination chemistry within the hydrogel. The redox-active arginine- and glutamic acid-rich gelatin backbone coordinates and reduces the metal center, enabling ATRP at ppm-level catalyst concentrations. While polymerization proceeds in GH-Cu(II) reactors, adding external mobile ligands to the GH results in longer polymer brushes. The results reported here are exploratory. More experiments are needed to characterize polymer brush growth in GHs and compare it to conventional surface-initiated polymerization in solution.

  PublisherDOI

• Transdisciplinary Collaborations for Advancing Sustainable and Resilient Agricultural Systems

  Global Change Biology · 2025-04-01 · 13 citations

  articleOpen access

  Feeding the growing human population sustainably amidst climate change is one of the most important challenges in the 21st century. Current practices often lead to the overuse of agronomic inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and water, resulting in environmental contamination and diminishing returns on crop productivity. The complexity of agricultural systems, involving plant-environment interactions and human management, presents significant scientific and technical challenges for developing sustainable practices. Addressing these challenges necessitates transdisciplinary research, involving intense collaboration among fields such as plant science, engineering, computer science, and social sciences. Five case studies are presented here demonstrating successful transdisciplinary approaches toward more sustainable water and fertilizer use. These case studies span multiple scales. By leveraging whole-plant signaling, reporter plants can transform our understanding of plant communication and enable efficient application of water and fertilizers. The use of new fertilizer technologies could increase the availability of phosphorus in the soil. To accelerate advancements in breeding new cultivars, robotic technologies for high-throughput plant screening in different environments at a population scale are discussed. At the ecosystem scale, phosphorus recovery from aquatic systems and methods to minimize phosphorus leaching are described. Finally, as agricultural outputs affect all people, integration of stakeholder perspectives and needs into research is outlined. These case studies highlight how transdisciplinary research and cross-training among biologists, engineers, and social scientists bring diverse expertise to tackling grand challenges in sustainable agriculture, driving discovery and innovation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene Nanoparticles

  Fibers · 2025-02-11 · 13 citations

  articleOpen access

  This study investigates the impact of mechanical and chemical surface treatments on the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of Kevlar and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber-reinforced laminates (FRLs). Various treatments, including surface roughening, plasma exposure, NaOH and silane coupling, and graphene nanoparticle (NP) incorporation, were conducted to enhance the fiber–matrix bonding within thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) matrices. Results demonstrated that treatment efficacy highly depends on fiber type and matrix material, with chemical modifications generally outperforming the physical treatment (surface roughness). Plasma treatment significantly enhanced adhesion for UHMWPE, increasing yarn pullout force by 188.1% with TPU. While combining plasma with graphene slightly improved performance, it did not exceed plasma-only results due to potential surface functionalization losses during wet graphene application. For Kevlar, the combination of NaOH, silane, and graphene NP (NSG) treatment yielded the highest adhesion, showing increases of 76.6% with TPU and 95.4% with EVA, underscoring the synergy between chemical coupling and nanomaterial reinforcement. This study’s insights align with previous research, expanding the knowledge base by investigating graphene’s role independently and alongside established methods.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• DendriPep Nanocoats: Substrate-Agnostic, Self-Assembling Constructs with Shear-Controlled Thickness and Permeability

  Langmuir · 2025-04-30

  article

  This study investigates the self-assembly of hybrid poly(amidoamine)-peptide dendrimers (DendriPeps) into shear-responsive vesicle-like structures with nanometric thickness, called “Nanocoats”, that are capable of encapsulating nano- and microscale particles. To assess the material-agnostic coating power of DendriPeps, we tested the formation of Nanocoats on a variety of synthetic and biological substrates, including polystyrene nanoparticles, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels, gallium–indium liquid metal nanodroplets, and bacteriophages and lentiviruses. Specifically, we utilized spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to monitor the reversible assembly of Nanocoats on the surface of the particles upon controlling the shear stress of the surrounding aqueous phase. Furthermore, we evaluated the use of Nanocoats as a glue mediating the formation of particle clusters, whose size, in terms of the number of particles and coating thickness, can be dynamically controlled by adjusting the shear stress. Finally, we harnessed the reconfigurability of DendriPep Nanocoats to develop vectors for the shear-controlled delivery of a bioactive payload. To that end, we achieved the controlled release of the antibacterial peptide polymyxin B from DendriPep-coated microgels by applying shear stresses of 0.5–1 Pa. These results demonstrate the potential of DendriPeps to develop reconfigurable systems for biomedical applications that leverage localized shear gradients.

  PublisherDOI

• Investigation of Adhesion in Extruded PET/PA Bicomponent Polymer Systems

  ACS Applied Polymer Materials · 2025-01-13 · 2 citations

  articleCorresponding

  Adhesion plays a critical role in the formation of intricate multicomponent fiber morphologies, which has become a standard in the manufacturing of nonwoven mats. In this study, we investigate the effect of the introduction of an interfacial modifier comprising poly(octadecene-alt-maleic anhydride) (POMA) into poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and various polyamides (PA) (i.e., PA66, PA6, PA12, and PA12) during the extrusion process of nonwoven bicomponent fibers and bicomponent polymer films by utilizing a specially designed die setup. The asymmetric double cantilever beam and peel tests were used to quantify the effect of modifier addition on the fracture energy between PET and PAs during the extrusion. The study examined various fiber production operating conditions (temperature, throttle pressure, and POMA concentration) and composition feed of polymer pairs, observing consistent trends in fracture energy reduction. We established that during the fiber extrusion process, POMA rapidly segregates to the PET/PA interface and interferes with the formation of amide bonds between extruded polymers, reducing adhesion for all tested modifier concentrations. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the extruded fibers remained unaffected by the presence of POMA. These findings hold significant implications for researchers and practitioners in the packaging, automotive, and medical industries, aiding the design of optimal fiber production processes.

  PublisherDOI

• Phosphate Recovery and Selective Desorption with a PEI/PMVEMA Hydrogel in a Column Study

  ACS Applied Engineering Materials · 2025-12-30

  articleCorresponding

  The continuous depletion of nonrenewable phosphate rock reserves as a sole source of fertilizers and ineffective agricultural practices undermine efforts to achieve the goal of global food security. The existing practices to address sustainable nutrient management fall short due to the complex nature of inorganic phosphorus recovery. This study reports on an advanced phosphate capture and release system based on a polyethylenimine/poly(methylvinylether-alt-maleic anhydride) (PEI/PMVEMA) cross-linked hydrogel. This system enables inorganic phosphate binding with a maximum capturing capacity of ∼100 mg of phosphate per gram of hydrogel in a broad pH range between 3 and 8 in a packed-bed configuration under continuous flow conditions. Upon exposure to mild alkaline conditions (∼pH 11), the phosphate-loaded hydrogel instantaneously releases bound phosphate, allowing for a complete sorbent regeneration (97–99%). The released phosphate can be converted readily into an agriculture-ready fertilizer during regeneration. The studied system retaines its performance over three capture–regeneration cycles under various flow conditions and phosphate loading. Additionally, we investigate the selectivity of the system in mixed anion flows. Anion affinity followes the SO42– ≥ H2PO4– ≫ NO3– trend at various pH conditions of the flow, with a competitive displacement of phosphate anions with sulfate at the later stages of sorbent saturation. Adjusting the effluent pH from 13 to 11 improves the temporal separation of sulfate and phosphate during the hydrogel recovery. The studied hydrogel system delivers a continuous, efficient, selective, and stable platform to address current challenges in sustainable phosphate recovery from wastewater and surface eutrophic water while reclaiming nutrients for fertilizer use in a circular economy framework.

  PublisherDOI

• Functional Hydrogels for Selective Phosphate Removal from Water and Release on Demand

  Langmuir · 2025-06-03 · 3 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Commercial overuse and soaring prices of phosphate fertilizers have resulted in an adverse economic and environmental impact, threatening human health, clean water, and food security. In response to the phosphorus (P) cycling challenge, we developed a novel polyethylenimine (PEI)/poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic anhydride) (PMVEMA) hydrogel system capable of efficient capture and release of inorganic phosphates with high selectivity in the presence of nitrate. This study investigated the synergistic effect of PEI and PMVEMA within the hydrogel for a broad range of eluent pH conditions and P loadings to establish the capturing capacity and selectivity of the system toward nitrate. The PEI-enriched hydrogel system was characterized by a high P capturing capacity between pH 2.0 and 7.0 with a maximum P capture of 65 mg of P/g of sorbent at an equilibrium pH of 4.5. Desorption studies indicated that the system could efficiently release captured inorganic phosphate with an efficiency of 96% under mild conditions (<0.001 M NaOH), independent of the preloaded phosphate amount and system history. This is the lowest base concentration for P desorption reported. The separation factor (α) was dependent on the pH of the eluent and was equal to approximately 50 when in the presence of nitrates.

  PublisherDOI

• Assessing PDMS Biocompatibility in Microfluidic Applications: Toxicity and Survival Outcomes in <i>C. elegans</i>

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-12-15

  articleOpen access

  as a whole-animal model. We demonstrate that uncrosslinked vinyl-terminated PDMS (v-PDMS) chains, which comprise the majority of a PDMS network and are known to diffuse into aqueous environments, exhibit acute, environmentally-dependent toxicity. Low-molecular-weight v-PDMS (6 kDa) caused mild lethality in nutrient-rich S-Medium but significantly higher mortality in minimal S-Buffer, showing that media composition strongly influences toxic effects. Adding cholesterol, calcium, or magnesium notably reduced v-PDMS-induced lethality, whereas trace metals increased it. Using a DAF-16::GFP reporter strain, we show that cholesterol influences organismal stress responses to v-PDMS exposures. Progeny from starved parents showed full resistance to v-PDMS, suggesting transgenerational stress memory plays a role in reducing PDMS toxicity. We also find that linear siloxanes cause modest but significant lethality, whereas cyclic siloxanes do not. The PDMS crosslinker TDSS, however, provides partial protection when present with v-PDMS, revealing diverse biological effects among PDMS network precursors. Overall, these results show that PDMS-derived components are not universally harmless and that susceptibility depends greatly on environmental conditions, sterol levels, and physiological history. Our findings emphasize the importance of carefully evaluating PDMS formulations for biomedical use and offer a framework for assessing polymer leachate toxicity in living organisms.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Propagating Waves of Self-Assembly in Organosilane Monolayers

  NSF · $240k · 2009–2013

• EFRI-ODISSEI: Externally-Triggered Origami of Responsive Polymer Sheets

  NSF · $1.8M · 2012–2018

• Forming functional surfaces through surface-anchored macromolecular networks

  NSF · $537k · 2018–2022

• Random-Blocky Copolymers: Monomer Sequencing through Templated Chemical Coloring

  NSF · $520k · 2004–2010

• Degrafting of polymer brush molecules from substrates: Nuisance or opportunity?

  NSF · $504k · 2014–2018

Frequent coauthors

• Kirill Efimenko

  120 shared

• Daniel A. Fischer

  Material Measurement Laboratory

  107 shared

• Edward J. Krämer

  69 shared

• Michael D. Dickey

  North Carolina State University

  67 shared

• Christopher K. Ober

  48 shared

• Young Kuk Jhon

  Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

  45 shared

• Easan Sivaniah

  45 shared

• James J. Semler

  North Carolina State University

  41 shared

Awards & honors

• S. Frank and Doris Culberson Distinguished Professor