08/04/2026
The National Science Foundation has awarded Professor Christopher Li a three-year grant to advance his research on crystalsomes. Li and members of his Soft Materials Group first reported their discovery of crystalsomes a decade ago, when they were able to coax polymer crystals to take on a spherical shape rather than the rigid structure we are used to seeing in crystal formations.
Similar to liposomes, the tiny artificial bubbles made of fat that are used as biological packages for delivering drug treatments, Li has demonstrated that crystalsomes are more effective at making the delivery than their namesake, because crystals hold up better both on the way into and within the body. With this latest grant from NSF, Li will explore how to build their curved, responsive walls without help from an outside template.