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Brian Meckes

Brian Mekes photo
Assistant Professor
940-369-7223
Brian.Meckes@unt.edu
UNT Meckes Research Group
Faculty Profile

Dr. Brian Meckes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Texas. His research group focuses on the application and development of nanopatterning for controlling cell behavior and nanoparticles for therapeutic delivery. Dr. Meckes holds a B.S. in Bioengineering from Rice University and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, where he was a recipient of an NIH Ruth Kirschstein Predoctoral F31 Fellowship. Dr. Meckes completed his postdoctoral training at Northwestern University where he was an International Institute for Nanotechnology and the Eden and Steven Romick Postdoctoral Fellow. Recently, he has been recognized with a Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities. His current research projects are supported by the NIGMS and USDA.

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr. Meckes' lab focuses on applying lithographic approaches to control cellular interactions and the development of nanotherapeutics to regulate pathological functions.

  • 3D printing of tissue structures with single cell precision

  • Targeting nanotherapeutics through glycocalyx interactions

  • Development of "green" nano-pesticides

For Prospective Graduate Students

Apply to the Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering

Apply to the Graduate Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

CURRENT GRANT-FUNDED PROJECTS

  • Meckes, B., "Modulating 3D Cellular Connectivity Via Spatially-Controlled Programmable Bonding," Sponsored by NIH/NIGMS, Federal, $383151 Funded. (September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2023).

  • Meckes, B. (Principal), "Ralph Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement," Sponsored by ORAU, Private, $10000 Funded. (June 1, 2021 - May 31, 2022).

  • Meckes, B. (Co-Principal), Shah, J. (Co-Principal), Scofield (Principal) "RNA-Interference Targeting of Fungal Genes for Enhancing FHB Resistance," Sponsored by USDA-ARS, Federal, $41194 Funded. (June 1, 2021 - May 31, 2022).

  • Meckes, B. (Co-Principal), Shah, J. (Co-Principal), "Plant Exosome Mimics for Gene Regulation in Fungal Species Affecting Crops," Sponsored by COS-CENG, University of North Texas, $10000 Funded. (June 16, 2021 - March 15, 2021).

  • Meckes, B. R., "Mechanoregulators of Nanoparticle-Cell Interactions at Tissue Interfaces," Sponsored by NIH/NIGMS, Federal, $1,798,070 Funded. (September 1, 2023 - July 31, 2028).

RECENT SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS

* Denotes Equal Contribution

  1. Wang, K., Man, K., Liu, J., Meckes, B., Yang, Y. Dissecting Physical and Biochemical Effects in Nanotopographical Regulation of Cell Behavior. (2023) ACS Nano, 17(3), 2124-2133
  2. Lin, M.,* Meckes, B.*, Chen, C., Teplensky, M.H., Mirkin, C.A. Controlling Intracellular Machinery via Polymer Pen Lithography Molecular Patterning. (2022) ACS Central Science, 8 (9), 1282-1289.
  3. Zhang, W., Callmann, C.E., Meckes, B., Mirkin, C.A. Tumor-Associated Enzyme-Activatable Spherical Nucleic Acids. (2022) ACS Nano, 16 (7), 10931-10942.
  4. Oh, E.,* Meckes, B.,* Chang, J., Shin, D., Mirkin, C.A. Controlled Glioma Cancer Cell Migration and Confinement Using Biomimetic Patterned Hydrogels. Accepted. (2022) Advanced NanoBiomed Research. 2100131.
  5. Mathis, K., Gaddam, S., Koneru, R., Sunkavalli, N., Wang, C., Patel, M., Kohon, A., Meckes, B. Multifunctional Hydrogels with Spatially Controlled Light Activation with Photocaged Oligonucleotides. (2024) Cell Reports Physical Sciences. In Press.
  6. 2Mathis, K.,* Kohon, A.,* Black, S., Meckes, B. Light-Controlled Oligonucleotide Directed Cell Programming. (2023) ACS Material Au. 3(4) 386-393
  7. Man, K., Liu, J., Liang, C., Corona, C., Story, M. D., Meckes, B., Yang, Y. Biomimetic human lung alveolar interstitium chip with extended longevity. (2023) ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 15(30) 36888-36898
  8. Hwang, M.T.,* Landon, P.B.,* Mo, A.H., Lee, J., Meckes, B., Glinsky, G.V., Lal, R. (2016). Reusable DNA Nano-Carrier for Capture and Release of Biomolecules. Nanoscale, 7(41), 17397-17403
  9. Banga, R.J., Meckes, B., Narayan, S.P., Sprangers, A.J., Nguyen, S.T., Mirkin, C.A. (2017). Cross-linked Micellar Spherical Nucleic Acids from Thermoresponsive Templates. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 139 (12), 4278-4281
  10. Du, J.S.,* Chen, P-C.,* Meckes, B., Xie, Z., Zhu, J., Liu, Y., Dravid, V.P., Mirkin, C.A. (2017) The Structural Fate of Individual Multicomponent Metal-Oxide Nanoparticles in Polymer Nanoreactors. Angewendte Chemie International Edition, 56 (26), 7625-7629
  11. Xie, Z.,* Gordiichuck, P.,* Lin, Q-Y., Meckes, B., Chen, P-C., Sun, L., Du, J.S., Zhu, J., Liu, Y., Dravid, V.P., Mirkin, C.A. (2017) Solution-Phase Photochemical Nanopatterning Enabled by High-Refractive-Index Beam Pen Arrays. ACS Nano, 1 (8), 8231-8241
  12. Chen, P-C., Du, J.S., Meckes, B., Huang, L., Xie, Z., Hedrick, J., Dravid, V.P., Mirkin, C.A. (2017) The Structural Evolution of Three-Component Nanoparticles in Polymer Nanoreactors. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 139 (29), 9876-9884
  13. Meckes, B.,* Banga, R.J.,* Nguyen, S.T., Mirkin, C.A. (2018) Enhancing the Stability and Immunomodulatory Activity of Liposomal Spherical Nucleic Acids through Lipid-tail DNA Modifications. Small, 14 (5), 1702909
  14. Du, J.S., Chen, P-C., Meckes, B., Kluender, E.J., Xie, Z., Dravid, V.P., Mirkin, C.A. (2018) Evaporation-Induced Coarsening of Ultrafine Au-Pt Nanoparticles in Polymer Nanoreactors. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 140 (23), 7213-7221
  15. Kluender, E.J.,* Hedrick, J.L.,* Brown, K.A., Rao, R.S., Meckes, B., Du, J.S., Moreau, L.M., Maruyama, B., and Mirkin, C.A. Catalyst Discovery Through Mega-Libraries of Nanomaterials. (2019) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (1), 40-45
  16. Chen, P-C.,* Liu, M.,* Du, J.S., Meckes, B., Wang, S., Lin, H., Wolverton, C., Dravid, V.P., Mirkin, C.A. Configuration of phase boundaries in multi-phase hybrid nanoparticles. (2019) Science 363 (6430), 959-964
  17. Cabezas, M.C.,* Meckes, B.,* Mirkin, C.A., Mrksich, M. Subcellular Control Over Actin Stress Fiber Formation, Independent of Cell Morphology, Dictates Stem Cell Fate. (2019) ACS Nano 13 (10), 11144-11152
  18. Zhang, W.,* Meckes, B.,* Mirkin, C.A. Spherical Nucleic Acids with Tailored and Active Protein Coronae. (2019) ACS Central Sciences 5 (12), 1983-1990.
  19. Chen, P-C., Liu, Y., Du, J.S., Meckes, B., Dravid, V.P., Mirkin, C.A. Chain-End Functionalized Polymers for the Controlled Synthesis of Sub-2 nm Particles. (2020) Journal of the American Chemical Society 142 (16), 7350-7355
  20. Ponedal, A., Sheshuang, Z., Sprangers, A.J., Wang, X.-Q., Yeo, D.C., Lio, D.C.S., Zheng, M., Capek, M., Narayan, S., Meckes, B., Paller, A.S., Xu, C., Mirkin, C.A. Attenuation of Abnormal Scarring Using Spherical Nucleic Acids Targeting Transforming Growth Factor Beta (2020) ACS Appl. Bio Mater. DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c00990

PATENTS (1 GRANTED-3 PENDING)

  1. Lal, R., Hwang, M.T., Landon, P.B., Glinskii, G., Mo, A., Ramachandran, S., Lee, J., Meckes, B. (2020) Nano-sensors for Nucleic Acid Detection and Discrimination. Granted: US10793898

  2. Mirkin, C.A., Zhang, W., Meckes, B. (2019) Spherical nucleic acids with tailored and active protein coronae. US/PCT/ 62/903,223; Pending

  3. Mirkin, C.A., Mrksich, M., Cabezas, M.D., Meckes, B. (2019) Nanopatterning for Controlling Cell Cytoskeleton. WO2019168980A1; Pending

  4. Mirkin, C.A., Meckes, B., Zhang, W. (2018) Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs) with Sheddable PEG Layers. WO2019070890A; Pending