Research Overview

Research in the Partridge group focuses on developing methods to leverage supramolecular chemistry to recapitulate functional components of living systems. Such components rely on dynamic assemblies dictated by transient, noncovalent bonds. However, there exists a wide knowledge gap in how to program the assembly of synthetic systems with the same level of control and structural sophistication observed in Nature. Our work seeks to address this gap and develop new fundamental understanding that will allow us to build materials with lifelike functions from synthetic building blocks. Specific directions include:

• Developing adaptive supramolecular capsules as synthetic protein chaperones to address protein misfolding and aggregation
• Programming the hierarchical assembly of molecular building blocks into highly architected networks as mimics of the extracellular matrix (ECM)
• Designing chemical means to control and define the dissipative assembly of proteins to generate responsive structures that can do mechanical work

Our work lies at the interface of organic, biological, and materials chemistry. Members of the group will develop synthetic expertise across these areas, ranging from organic synthesis to protein expression, as well as structural analysis of supramolecular assemblies and materials using techniques including NMR, DSC, SAXS, CD, and TEM.

Research Interests

• Supramolecular chemistry; Bioinspired materials; Self-assembly in water; Protein engineering

Selected Publications

• Li, Y.‡; Zhou, W.‡; Tanriover, I.‡; Hadibrata, W.; Partridge, B. E.; Lin, H.; Hu, X.; Lee, B.; Liu, J.; Dravid, V. P.; Aydin, K.; Mirkin, C. A. Open-Channel Metal Particle Superlattices. Nature 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05291-y
• Wang, S.‡; Lee, S.‡; Du, J. S.‡; Partridge, B. E.; Cheng, H. F.; Zhou, W.; Dravid, V. P.; Lee, B.; Glotzer, S. C.; Mirkin, C. A. The Emergence of Valency in Colloidal Crystals through Electron Equivalents. Nat. Mater. 2022, 21, 580–587. DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-01170-5
• Partridge, B. E.; Winegar, P. H.; Han, Z.; Mirkin, C. A. Redefining Protein Interfaces within Protein Single Crystals with DNA. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 8925–8934. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c04191
• Hayes, O. G.‡; Partridge, B. E.‡; Mirkin, C. A. Encoding Hierarchical Assembly Pathways of Proteins with DNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2021, 118, e2106808118. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106808118
• Ebrahimi, S. B.‡; Samanta, D.‡; Partridge, B. E.; Kusmierz, C. D.; Cheng, H. F.; Grigorescu, A. A.; Chávez, J. L.; Mirau, P. A.; Mirkin, C. A. Programming Fluorogenic DNA Probes for Rapid Detection of Steroids. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 15260–15265. DOI: 10.1002/anie.202103440
• Wang, L.; Partridge, B. E.; Huang, N.; Olsen, J. T.#; Sahoo, D.; Zeng, X.; Ungar, G.; Graf, R.; Spiess, H. W.; Percec, V. Extraordinary Acceleration of Cogwheel Helical Self-Organization of Dendronized Perylene Bisimides by the Dendron Sequence Encoding their Tertiary Structure. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 9525–9536. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c03353
• Partridge, B. E.; Wang, L.; Sahoo, D.; Olsen, J. T.#; Leowanawat, P.; Roche, C.; Ferreira, H.#; Reilly, K. J.#; Zeng, X.; Ungar, G.; Heiney, P. A.; Graf, R.; Spiess, H. W.; Percec, V. Sequence-Defined Dendrons Dictate Supramolecular Cogwheel Assembly of Dendronized Perylene Bisimides. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 15761–15766. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b08714 
• Ho, M.-S.; Partridge, B. E.; Sun, H.-J.; Sahoo, D.; Leowanawat, P.; Peterca, M.; Graf, R.; Spiess, H. W.; Zeng, X.; Ungar, G.; Heiney, P. A.; Hsu, C.-S.; Percec, V. Screening Libraries of Semifluorinated Arylene Bisimides to Discover and Predict Thermodynamically Controlled Helical Crystallization. ACS Comb. Sci. 2016, 18, 723–739. DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.6b00143
• Roche, C.; Sun, H.-J.; Leowanawat, P.; Araoka, F.; Partridge, B. E.; Peterca, M.; Wilson, D. A.; Prendergast, M. E.#; Heiney, P. A.; Graf, R.; Spiess, H. W.; Zeng, X.; Ungar, G.; Percec, V. A Supramolecular Helix that Disregards Chirality. Nat. Chem. 2016, 8, 80–89. DOI: 10.1038/nchem.2397
• Partridge, B. E.; Leowanawat, P.; Aqad, E.; Imam, M. R.; Sun, H.-J.; Peterca, M.; Heiney, P. A.; Graf, R.; Spiess, H. W.; Zeng, X.; Ungar, G.; Percec, V. Increasing 3D Supramolecular Order by Decreasing Molecular Order: A Comparative Study of Helical Assemblies of Dendronized Non-Chlorinated and Tetrachlorinated Perylene Bisimides. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 5210–5224. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b02147
• Mullaney, B. R.; Partridge, B. E.; Beer, P. D. A Halogen-Bonding Bis-Triazolium Rotaxane for Halide Selective Anion Recognition. Chem.—Eur. J. 2014, 21, 1660–1665. DOI: 10.1002/chem.201405578

(‡ Authors contributed equally. § Undergraduate or high school student coauthor.)