The School of Chemistry congratulates Ms. Parul Rathee for winning the 2023 Gertner Excellence Award

Ms. Parul Rathee has received the 2023 Excellence Award on behalf of The Marian Gertner Institute for Medical Nano-systems at Tel Aviv University. The Marian Gertner Institute annually grants Excellence and Travel Fellowships to exceptional MSc and PhD students.

Parul's research focuses on designing enzyme-responsive amphiphiles, with the goal of enhancing our fundamental understanding of the  interactions of polymeric assemblies with enzymes, and applying this knowledge to develop promising materials. Recently, she has developed an innovative polymeric formulation that can be programmed to undergo three sequential enzyme-induced multiphase transitions: (i) from micelles to (ii) hydrogel and finally to (iii) dissolved polymers. Furthermore, she has successfully controlled the transition rate between these phases by adjusting the ratio of amphiphiles in the formulation.

This novel ability to program materials can enable rapid circulation as micelles in the body, selective accumulation as a hydrogel at the disease site for the slow release of cargo molecules, and subsequent complete disassembly of hydrogels into soluble polymers, facilitating the final clearance of the delivery system. As a result, it holds significant potential for various biomedical applications, including controlled drug delivery systems. Currently, she is delving deeper into this enzymatically induced self-assembly to gain a more comprehensive understanding.