Brian Meckes

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor

940-369-7223

Brian.Meckes@unt.edu

Brian Meckes

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.

Google Scholar

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., “Mechoregulators 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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Zhang, W.,* Meckes, B.,* Mirkin, C.A. Spherical Nucleic Acids with Tailored and Active Protein Coronae. (2019) ACS Central Sciences 5 (12), 1983-1990.
  6. 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
  7. 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 1. (2020) ACS Appl. Bio Mater. DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c00990
  8. Herubin, D., Yang, A., Gaddam, S., Mathis, K., Meckes, B. Protocol for the synthesis and activation of hydrogels with photocaged oligonucleotides. (2025) STAR Protocols. 6(1) 103502 [Link] 
  9. Mathis, K., Chan, C.T.Y., Meckes, B.Controlling Cell Interactions with DNA Directed Assembly. (2024) Advanced Healthcare Materials. 13(32) 2402876 [Link] DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202402876
  10. Kohon, A.,* Man, K.,* Hessami, A.,* Mathis, K., Webb, J., Fang, J., Radfar, P., Yang, Y., Meckes, B. Targeting Nanoparticles to Lung Cancer-derived A549 Cells Based on Changes on Interstitial Stiffness in Biomimetic Models. (2024) iScience. 27(10), 111015 [Link] 
  11. Kinshuk, S., Li, L., Meckes, B., Chan, C.T.Y., Sequence-Based Protein Design: A Review of Using Statistical Models to Characterize Coevolutionary Traits for Developing Hybrid Proteins as Genetic Sensors. (2024) International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 25(15), 8320. [Link] 
  12. 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. 5, 101922. [Link] 
  13. Mathis, K.,* Kohon, A.,* Black, S., Meckes, B.Light-Controlled Oligonucleotide Directed Cell Programming. (2023) ACS Material Au. 3(4) 386–393. [Link]

PATENTS

  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