Park Jihun
Ewha Womans University · Materials Science
About the Lab
Professor Park Jihun's research lab specializes in bio-inspired nanocoating technologies for single-cell protection and regeneration, focusing on developing cytocompatible, stimuli-responsive shells using supramolecular materials like tannic acid and iron(III). The lab pioneers on-demand shell degradation strategies that mimic natural germination processes, enabling long-term cytoprotection against extreme stressors such as UV radiation and enzymes while maintaining cell viability. A key research direction involves applying these nanocoating techniques to tissue engineering, particularly in designing advanced nerve guidance conduits for peripheral nerve repair. The lab integrates principles from synthetic biology, materials science, and regenerative medicine to create functional, cell-in-microcapsule systems with applications in biomedicine and biopreservation.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
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Selected Papers
15Single-cell encapsulation promises the cytoprotection of the encased cells against lethal stressors, reminiscent of the sporulation process in nature. However, the development of a cytocompatible method for chemically mimicking the germination process (i.e., shell degradation on-demand) has been elusive, despite the shell degradation being pivotal for the practical use of functional cells as well as for single cell-based biology. We report that an artificial shell, composed of tannic acid (TA) a
Nature has developed a fascinating strategy of cryptobiosis ("secret life") for counteracting the stressful, and often lethal, environmental conditions that fluctuate sporadically over time. For example, certain bacteria sporulate to transform from a metabolically active, vegetative state to an ametabolic endospore state. The bacterial endospores, encased within tough biomolecular shells, withstand the extremes of harmful stressors, such as radiation, desiccation, and malnutrition, for extended
The chronological progresses in single-cell nanocoating are described. The historical developments in the field are divided into biotemplating, cytocompatible nanocoating, and cells in nano-nutshells, depending on the main research focuses. Each subfield is discussed in conjunction with the others, regarding how and why to manipulate living cells by nanocoating at the single-cell level.
Numerous coating strategies are available to control the surface properties and confer new properties to substrates for applications in energy, environment, biosystems, etc., but most have the intrinsic limitations in the practical setting: (1) highly specific interactions between coating materials and target surfaces are required for stable and durable coating; (2) the coating of bulk substrates, such as fruits, is time-consuming or is not achievable in the conventional solution-based coating.
Peripheral nerve injury results in significant sensory and motor functional deficits. Although direct neurorrhaphy in the early phase may reduce its devastating effects, direct end-to-end neurorrhaphy is sometimes impossible owing to a defect at the injured site of the nerve. Autogenous nerve graft is a primary consideration for peripheral nerve defects; however, significant morbidity of the donor site is inevitable. Recently, the treatment using engineered synthetic nerve conduits has been rega
Abstract Single‐cell encapsulation promises the cytoprotection of the encased cells against lethal stressors, reminiscent of the sporulation process in nature. However, the development of a cytocompatible method for chemically mimicking the germination process (i.e., shell degradation on‐demand) has been elusive, despite the shell degradation being pivotal for the practical use of functional cells as well as for single cell‐based biology. We report that an artificial shell, composed of tannic ac
Nanoshells F. Caruso, Y. Lee, I. S. Choi, and co-workers show in their Communication on page 12420 that a cytoprotective nanoshell can be formed on individual yeast cells from a coordination complex of tannic acid and FeIII ions.
Inspired by biosilicification of glass sponges, we designed a catalytic peptide, which formed silica structures in the imidazole-buffered solution. The peptide was adsorbed selectively onto the surface of yeast cells, and the bioinspired silicification led to the formation of a cytoprotective silica shell on individual yeast cells.
Photoacoustic imaging using exogenous contrast agents has emerged as a hybrid technique that enables the deep imaging of optical properties of tissues with high spatial resolution. The power of this imaging technique can be greatly enhanced by the use of contrast agents that absorb at near-infrared wavelengths and whose optical properties can be modulated in response to the local environment. We have designed contrast agents consisting of gold nanoparticles coated with anisotropic silica nanoshe
A coating must remain intact to perform its inherent functions on a surface, and often functional organic coatings fail due to deterioration because of their intrinsic vulnerabilities. In this work, we present a biomimetic material based on a glass sponge to provide a robust silica composite nanocoating with an antifog effect. The silica composite nanocoating was constructed with a binary film structure consisting of (1) a Fe(III)-tannic acid (TA) nanofilm for adhesion to coat the substrates and
One-step assembly of iron(III)-tannic acid (Fe<sup>3+</sup>-TA) complex forms nanothin (∼10 nm) films on various substrates within minutes. In this deposition scheme, however, the film does not grow continuously over time even though Fe<sup>3+</sup>-TA complex is still abundant in the coating solution. In this paper, we report that the salt addition dramatically changes the one-off coating characteristic to continuous one, and each salt has its optimum concentration ( C<sub>MFT</sub>) that produ
Abstract The melanoidin from soluble coffee is utilized as a material‐independent, multipurpose coating material. Instantaneous complexation of the coffee melanoidin (CM) with ferric ion (Fe 3+ ) leads to surface‐adhesive aggregates, inducing sequential film deposition. Various chemical groups of the CM also allow for post‐functionalizations of the CM film, including surface‐initiated, ring‐opening polymerization and bioinspired silicification. In addition, the CM‐based coating is applied to sin
BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays an important role in the postoperative morbidity of organs, which is related to the activation of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Ulinastatin (Urinary trypsin inhibitor, UTI) is a serine protease inhibitor found in human urine or serum that inhibits the activation of human leukocyte elastase. This study examined the effect of UTI on the inflammation response in patients undergoing a gastrectomy. METHODS: THIRTY PATIENTS SCHEDULED TO UNDERGO A GAST
Research Areas
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