About

Nathan Gianneschi is the Jacob & Rosaline Cohn Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science & Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. His research group is an interdisciplinary team of chemists, engineers, materials scientists, and chemical biologists focused on fundamental and translational research into biomaterials, polymers, nanomaterials, in situ electron microscopy, biomimicry, therapeutics, diagnostics, and novel functional materials. His work involves mimicking biomacromolecules to control, probe, study, and perturb natural systems, with a focus on developing innovative materials and techniques for biomedical applications. Gianneschi's background includes a PhD from Northwestern University, where he developed supramolecular allosteric catalytic systems, and postdoctoral studies at The Scripps Research Institute, studying semi-synthetic programmable enzymatic systems for biomolecule detection and signal amplification. His research aims to connect disparate fields through whole-brain thinking to advance the methods of engineering, transform engineering education, and explore the critical applications of engineering in society.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Chemical engineering
• Materials science
• Cell biology
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer science
• Composite material
• Crystallography
• Polymer chemistry
• Optoelectronics
• Stereochemistry
• Environmental chemistry
• Medicine
• Biophysics
• Biomedical engineering

Selected publications

• Reversible Addition–Fragmentation Chain-Transfer Aqueous Emulsion Polymerization Observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2026-05-04

  articleCorresponding

  Heterogeneous polymerizations account for a significant fraction of global polymer production and underpin the synthesis of latexes used in coatings, adhesives, and advanced materials. Yet, despite their widespread use, emulsion polymerizations remain mechanistically underexplored due to the lack of direct observational tools compatible with liquid-phase environments. In this study, we leverage the combination of liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LPTEM) and dry-state transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with dynamic light scattering to visualize the nanoscale evolution of monomer droplets and particles during reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) aqueous emulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate. Using a poly(ethylene glycol)-based macro-chain transfer agent to stabilize the growing latex, we capture the progression of the emulsion mechanism, including micellar nucleation, particle growth, and relatively rare higher-order morphologies and morphological transitions in later stages. This visualization provides a mechanistic bridge between kinetic models and particle formation dynamics in emulsion systems. By addressing a key observational barrier, this work establishes a new platform for mechanistically guided design of advanced colloidal materials in solution-phase polymerization systems.

  PublisherDOI

• Liquid Phase TEM of Diffusing Emulsion Droplets

  Small · 2026-01-30

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  The origin of the viscoelastic behavior that many nanoparticles display during diffusive motion is unknown. Such dynamics are difficult to record without sophisticated methods that combine a suitable observation window of motion in time with high image resolution. Herein, we study and describe the diffusion of two types of particles in the form of emulsion droplets in situ via liquid phase TEM. For both, the observed particle motion in solution is anomalous (non-Brownian) and is either sub- or super-diffusive. Fractional Brownian motion (fBm) and random walks on fractals (RWF) are the two potential mechanisms. It can be challenging to differentiate these since they may have the same position or velocity autocorrelation function, but they diverge in the average number of sites visited, which is connected to the fractal dimension of the walk. We conclude that droplet-surface interactions and electron beam fluence create a fractal energy landscape yielding peculiar dynamics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Prediction of rheological properties via structure elucidation of solvated hydrogels

  Nature Materials · 2026-03-11 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Heterobifunctional proteomimetic polymers for targeted degradation of MYC and KRAS

  Nature Communications · 2026-02-24

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has enabled modulation of previously undruggable proteins. However, existing small-molecule approaches require arduous optimization and are largely confined to targets bearing ligandable pockets. To address these challenges, we introduce the HYbrid DegRAding Copolymer (HYDRAC), a polymeric platform that integrates target‑binding peptides with peptide-based or small‑molecule degrons to orchestrate selective degradation of disease‑relevant proteins. HYDRACs are amenable to scalable synthetic methods, exhibit broad structural tunability, and support multivalent payload conjugation. This intrinsic modularity enables incorporation of a diverse repertoire of target‑binding motifs and E3‑ligase recruiters. These include von Hippel-Lindau protein (VHL), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), and Cereblon (CRBN). We deploy HYDRACs against two historically intractable targets, Myelocytomatosis proto-oncogene (MYC) and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS), achieving potent degradation in vitro and durable tumor suppression in murine models. Notably, HYDRACs bearing consensus RAS-binding motifs effectuate degradation of KRAS across multiple alleles, suggesting pan‑KRAS potential. We envision HYDRACs as a generalizable paradigm that substantially expands the TPD armamentarium. The identification and optimization of bifunctional small-molecule protein degraders remain labor-intensive processes largely restricted to proteins with well-defined ligandable pockets. Here, the authors present a polymer-based strategy, HYbrid DegRAding Copolymer (HYDRAC): modular copolymers that densely display target-binding peptides in conjunction with peptide-based or small molecule-derived degrons in a multivalent fashion, enabling selective degradation of disease-relevant proteins.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploring allomelanin: A comparative analysis via natural product extraction and synthesis

  Science Advances · 2026-02-13

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Allomelanin is a nitrogen-free class of melanin commonly found in plants and fungi. Although synthetic analogs have been developed from 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (1,8-DHN), detailed physicochemical comparisons with natural allomelanins remain limited. Herein, we extracted allomelanin from black knot fungus, chaga mushroom, and black oat using an acid-base extraction protocol, comparing them against a library of synthetic analogs derived from a range of putative, natural precursors. Spectroscopic analyses indicate that simple homopolymerization of 1,8-DHN does not adequately represent natural allomelanin structures. Instead, heterogeneous copolymerization of 1,8-DHN with catechol or tannic acid yields materials with physicochemical properties more consistent with natural extracts. This is also supported by their enhanced antioxidant and dye/metal adsorption properties. Like their synthetic counterparts, extracted natural allomelanins exhibit intrinsic porosity, reaching a Brunauer-Emmet-Teller area of 155 square meters per gram, potentially facilitating nutrient transport and toxin adsorption, although further studies will be required to probe this.

  PublisherDOI

• From melanogenesis to melanin technologies

  Communications Chemistry · 2025-11-04 · 9 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Melanins are a diverse family of natural pigments with a unique combination of optical, electronic, redox, and structural properties that challenge conventional chemical characterisation. This Perspective summarises key insights from the first international interdisciplinary meeting dedicated to melanin, held in Eastbourne, UK and sponsored by the Royal Society. The meeting brought together advances in melanogenesis, pigment evolution, molecular and supramolecular melanin characterisation, alongside emerging applications in energy storage, sensing, coatings, and biodegradable electronics. Here, we highlight the fragmentation of melanin research across disciplines and advocate for a unified, interdisciplinary approach to understanding melanin’s complex chemistry. By integrating perspectives from experts in biology, materials science, paleontology, device physics and chemistry, we propose a roadmap for future melanin research, towards melanin-based functional devices and technologies. Melanins are a diverse family of natural pigments with a unique combination of optical, electronic, redox, and structural properties that challenge conventional chemical characterisation. Here, the authors summarize insights from the first international interdisciplinary meeting dedicated to melanin and advocate for a unified approach to understanding melanin’s complex chemistry and advancing melanin-based technologies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 33 Unresolved Questions in Nanoscience and NanotechnologyArticle link copied!

  RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen) · 2025-01-01

  article
  Publisher

• Spidroin Martini Coarse grain and atomistic simulation results

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2025-07-30

  datasetOpen access

  The pdb files contained in this zip archive are the outputs of our simulations of the pre-spun silk proteins (MaSp1 and MaSp2) found in Black Widow silk dope. We used a combination of Martini V2.6 Martini 3.0 coarse grain, Alphafold, and Charmm36 atomistic simulations.

  PublisherDOI

• Programming Local Confinements in Crystalline Frameworks through Reticular Chemistry

  Research Square · 2025-12-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• In Situ Monitoring of Droplet Behavior in Inverse Microemulsions

  ACS Nano · 2025-05-13 · 3 citations

  articleCorresponding

  Thermoresponsive polymer assemblies are of growing interest in fields ranging from photonics to drug delivery, with their phase transitions often attributed to upper- or lower-critical solution temperatures and cloud-point behaviors. However, the direct imaging of these nanoscale transitions remains underexplored. This study addresses that gap by developing a temperature-sensitive inverse microemulsion system and elucidating its dynamic structural transitions under heating. We present a temperature-sensitive inverse microemulsion system composed of the nonionic surfactants Brij 010 and Span 80. Upon heating within a stable microemulsion temperature range, the decrease in hydrogen bonding between the hydrophilic surfactant head and the dispersed phase results in an initial droplet contraction. Above a critical destabilization temperature, the droplets expand and destabilize as the affinity of the surfactant for the continuous phase increases. This intriguing behavior was observed via dynamic light scattering and liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy, which revealed a rapid and reversible droplet transformation during heating cycles. This versatile inverse microemulsion system also serves as a modular nanoreactor for polymerizations, demonstrated through both conventional radical and photoiniferter polymerization. Our research contributes to the understanding of inverse microemulsions, which offer a platform for precise nanoparticle synthesis.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Nucleic Acid Nanostructures and their Cellular Transport Mechanisms

  NSF · $420k · 2017–2018

• MMP responsive polymeric materials for treating acute myocardial infarction

  NIH · $597k · 2017–2027

• Nucleic Acid Nanostructures and their Cellular Transport Mechanisms

  NSF · $420k · 2017–2020

• Acquisition of a K2 Camera for Soft Matter Transmission Electron Microscopy

  NIH · $663k · 2019–2020

• Studying the Processes of Assembly and Stimuli-Responsive Morphological Transformations in Solvated Macromolecular Nano-Assemblies

  NSF · $600k · 2019–2022

Frequent coauthors

• Matthew P. Thompson

  Northwestern University

  140 shared

• Hao Sun

  Zhejiang University

  85 shared

• Claudia Battistella

  International Institute for Nanotechnology

  83 shared

• Karthikeyan Gnanasekaran

  71 shared

• Joseph P. Patterson

  University of California System

  68 shared

• Lucas R. Parent

  University of Connecticut

  63 shared

• Joanna Korpanty

  Northwestern University

  59 shared

• Wei Cao

  Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology

  58 shared

Labs

• Nathan Gianneschi Research GroupPI