Eden Tanner
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Phone Number:
Email: eetanner@olemiss.edu
https://chemistry.olemiss.edu/eden-tanner/

Key Words: Solving biomedical and bioengineering problems using physical chemistry and particularly ionic liquids and nanomaterials

Research Description: The Tanner lab seeks to solve outstanding bioengineering research questions using a chemistry framework, where an understanding of the molecular interactions within the delivery system allows the development of predictive frameworks and task-specific solvent design. Ionic liquids, consisting of a bulky, asymmetric cation and an anion, have attracted significant interest in a broad range of applications, including catalysis and energy applications, due to their favorable properties, including non-volatility, recyclability, and their inherent tuneability whereby the anion and cation can be altered to change the physicochemical properties of the material. By synthesizing the ionic liquids with biocompatible or bioinspired starting materials, they can be employed in biological contexts. Because changing the structure of the ionic components results in changes to their their biologically relevant properties, including interactions with bio-interfaces, biomolecules and pharmaceutical ingredients, they can be tuned to solve a variety of problems. Nanoparticles have been touted as ideal drug delivery systems due to their ability to deliver drugs in a more effective, safe, and specific way compared to traditional therapeutics, particularly in the context of administering chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin, to treat cancer. However, the vast majority of nanoparticle technologies do not progress clinically as they face a number of currently insurmountable challenges, which result in <5 % arriving to the intended destination.

Honors Theses:

Bell, Leslie Anne (2022) Ionic Liquid-Solvated Chitosan Nanoparticles as a Novel Method of Treating Atopic Dermatitis (full text)

Galloway, Jo Ann (2022) The Synthesis and Characterization of Ionic Liquids using Nitrogen-Based Cations for Transdermal Delivery (full text)

Gorniak, Meghan Elizabeth (2022) Finding the Optimal Ionic Liquid to Target White Blood Cell Subpopulations Using Nanoparticles (full text)

Hoang, Anh My (2022) LC-MS Identification of Serum Proteins Adsorbed onto Ionic Liquid-Coated Nanoparticles (full text)

Grovich, Noah Robert (2022) The Role of Ionic Liquids in Gold Nanorod Synthesis (full text)

Wong, Karen Mun (2022) Targeting Platelets using Ionic Liquid coated Nanoparticles (full text)