The Biomedical Engineering Society presented Jordan Green with the 2011 Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award for his work developing a set of biodegradable polymers—large molecules built from many small repeated molecules—which transfer genetic material that destroys glioblastoma cancer cells found in fast-growing brain tumors. The polymers transfer DNA with a high level of success compared to other materials tried in the past, and they can be freeze-dried and stored for up to three months before use. These nanoparticles of polymers and genetic material can be used in place of virus-mediated gene therapy, which has been associated with safety concerns.
Green, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Laboratory, will be presented a $1,000 award and a recognition plaque during the 2011 BMES Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 15, in Hartford, Connecticut. He will also present a 20-minute Rita Schaffer Memorial Lecture at the meeting. The award is given in recognition of a scientist within five years of receiving his or her highest degree who displays a high level of originality and ingenuity in biomedical engineering.
Green’s work focuses on understanding and controlling delivery of genetic material and drugs to cells for therapeutic purposes. Green works to engineer nanoparticles that are efficiently delivered and will be useful for drug release as well as gene therapy in new, targeted approaches to treating cancer.