Allie Obermeyer
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
811B S.W. Mudd
Allie Obermeyer’s research, which lies at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and engineering, is motivated by the goal to improve human health. The primary focus of her lab is on developing hybrid protein and polymer-based materials for biomedical applications.
Research Interests
Protein engineering, polymer science, complex coacervation, chemical biologyThree aspects of proteins make them particularly attractive for use in functional materials: they can (1) possess great strength, (2) function as exquisite catalysts, and/or (3) dynamically assemble and disassemble. However, the exceptional functionality of proteins is frequently matched with an equivalent lack of stability. By combining functional proteins with traditional synthetic polymers, materials with the favorable features of each component can be created. Exploiting the diverse structure and function of native, or unaltered, proteins, Obermeyer is using a combination of genetic and synthetic modifications to control protein assembly and behavior. This enables her to engineer complementary functionality into novel protein-based materials, which eventually will be used for applications in medicine, biotechnology, and synthetic biology.
Obermeyer received a BS, magna cum laude, in chemistry from Rice University in 2008 and a PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2013. From 2014 to 2016, she was an Arnold O. Beckman postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Obermeyer has also volunteered in programs designed to engage public school students with science.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
- Arnold O. Beckman postdoctoral fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014–2016
- National Science Foundation graduate research fellow, University of California, Berkeley, 2008–2013
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, 2017–
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers
- American Chemical Society
HONORS & AWARDS
- Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor, University of California, Berkeley, 2011
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2010 – 2013
- Andrew D. Morsey Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence, University of California, Berkeley, 2010
- Zevi & Bertha Salsburg Award for Excellence in Chemistry, Rice University 2008
- Phi Beta Kappa, 2008
- Trustee Distinguished Scholarship, Rice University, 2005 – 2008
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Dong, X-H.; Obermeyer, A.C.; Olsen, B.D. Three-Dimensional Ordered Antibody Arrays Through Self-Assembly of Antibody–Polymer Conjugates. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2017, 56, 1273.
- Sangsuwan, R.; Obermeyer, A.C.; Tachachartvanich, P.; Palaniappan, K.K.; Francis, M.B. Direct Detection of Nitrotyrosine-Containing Proteins Using an Aniline-Based Oxidative Coupling Strategy. Chem. Commun., 2016, 52, 10036-10039.
- Obermeyer, A.C.; Mills, C.E.; Dong, X-H.; Flores, R.J.; Olsen, B.D. Complex coacervation of supercharged proteins with polyelectrolytes. Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 3570-3581.
- Obermeyer, A.C.; Olsen, B.D. Synthesis and application of protein-containing block copolymers. ACS Macro Letters, 2015, 4, 101-110.
- Obermeyer, A.C.; Capehart, S.L.; Jarman, J.B.; Francis, M.B. Multivalent Viral Capsids with Internal Cargo for Fibrin Imaging, PLoS One, 2014, 9, e100678.
- Obermeyer, A.C.; Jarman, J.B.; Francis, M.B. N-terminal modification of proteins with o-aminophenols, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 9572-9579.