The synthesis of selective drug delivery carriers to target therapeutic substances to diseased sites addresses a current unmet medical need affecting millions of people suffering from chronic diseases. Targeted drug delivery carriers endeavor to increase patients' life expectancies and quality of life by discriminately locating receptors expressed on diseased cells before release of therapeutic or imaging payload. I propose increased therapeutic effect may be achieved by a multifunctional colloidal carrier with concurrent targeting, imaging, and focused release capability such that active core constituents are discharged directly into the targeted region.

In my work, multiple functionalities have been positioned on colloidal particle templates with nanoscale precision using bottom-up assembly techniques such as layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte deposition and particle lithography*.

* Snyder, C. E.; Yake, A. M.; Feick, J. D.; Velegol, D. Langmuir 2005, 21, 4813-4815.