Duffy-Matzner, Jetty

• Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, University of California, Davis 

• B.S., Boise State University

Natural products and ocular pharmaceuticals incorporated into nanoparticles for intraocular small molecule drug delivery.

It is important to consider alternative routes for treatment of the eye’s surface, anterior, and posterior areas versus conventional methods such as eye drops and intravitreal injections. This research falls under the focus area of drug discovery/medicinal chemistry. The work would further examine the author's previous production and characterization of modified LbL (layer by layer) contact lenses for slower drug release times. It will focus on the production of zingerone labeled microparticles and nanoparticles involving the beneficial biopolymers of chitosan and hyaluronic acid. These increase moisture retention and provide antibacterial properties. Chitosan modification can also provide methods for intraocular drug delivery. These modifications would involve both covalent bonding changes and/or charge deposition (LbL). Students would be involved with producing LbL contact lenses, developing methods to create novel chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanoparticles, incorporating zingerone, and ocular medicines such as Timolol (antibacterial agent). The particles would to be tested for ocular tissue penetration, moisture retention, protein deposition, and zeta potential. Students would also learn to use organic synthetic techniques, dialysis techniques, cell culture, and cell viability testing. Students would also use instruments such as: FTNMR, FTIR, ATR, UV-Vis, Fluorimetry, TGA, viscosity measurements, optical microscopy measurements, and XRD.