Matthew L Becker

Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Chemistry

The Becker Laboratory for Functional Biomaterials is a multidisciplinary organic materials group working at the interface of chemistry, engineering and medicine.   We are developing families of degradable polymers with highly tunable physical and biological properties that are being applied to unmet needs in flexible electronics, soft tissue repair, neural, orthopedic and vascular tissue engineering.  We are also actively engaged in additive manufacturing and the development of custom inks that are enabling unique solutions to challenging design paradigms in biomaterials and drug delivery.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
  • Professor of Chemistry
  • Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science
  • Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Contact Information

  • Office Location: B120 Levine Science Res Center, 308 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708
  • Email Address: matthew.l.becker@duke.edu
  • Websites:

Education

  • B.S. Northwest Missouri State University, 1998
  • M.A. Washington University in St. Louis, 2000
  • Ph.D. Washington University in St. Louis, 2003

Research Interests

Polymer chemistry; bioconjugate chemistry; molecular imaging and additive manufacturing; materials for bone, soft tissue, neural and vascular tissue engineering; drug and protein delivery; degradable materials for flexible electronics

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Fellow (NAI). National Academy of Inventors. 2022
  • Fellow. American Chemical Society. 2020
  • Carl S. Marvel Award in Creative Polymer Chemistry. Polymer Division of the American Chemical Society. 2019
  • Fellow. American Institute of Medical and Biomedical Engineering. 2018
  • Fellow. Royal Society of Chemistry. 2017
  • Biomacromolecules/ Macromolecules Young Investigator Award. American Chemical Society Publications. 2015

Courses Taught

  • NEUROSCI 493: Research Independent Study 1
  • MSEG 591: Independent Study
  • ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 490: Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 392: Undergraduate Projects in Mechanical Engineering
  • CHEM 539: Polymer Chemistry
  • CHEM 494: Research Independent Study
  • CHEM 493: Research Independent Study
  • CHEM 394: Research Independent Study
  • CHEM 393: Research Independent Study
  • CHEM 110DL: Honors Chemistry: Core Concepts in Context
  • BME 792: Continuation of Graduate Independent Study
  • BME 791: Graduate Independent Study
  • BME 493: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Sayko, R., Z. Wang, H. Liang, M. L. Becker, and A. V. Dobrynin. “Degradation of Block Copolymer Films Confined in Elastic Media: Molecular Dynamics Simulations.” Macromolecules 53, no. 21 (November 10, 2020): 9460–69. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01795.
  • Yeazel, Taylor R., and Matthew L. Becker. “Advancing Toward 3D Printing of Bioresorbable Shape Memory Polymer Stents.” Biomacromolecules 21, no. 10 (October 2020): 3957–65. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01082.
  • Nikam, Shantanu P., Peiru Chen, Karissa Nettleton, Yen-Hao Hsu, and Matthew L. Becker. “Zwitterion Surface-Functionalized Thermoplastic Polyurethane for Antifouling Catheter Applications.” Biomacromolecules 21, no. 7 (July 2020): 2714–25. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00456.
  • Worch, Joshua C., Andrew C. Weems, Jiayi Yu, Maria C. Arno, Thomas R. Wilks, Robert T. R. Huckstepp, Rachel K. O’Reilly, Matthew L. Becker, and Andrew P. Dove. “Elastomeric polyamide biomaterials with stereochemically tuneable mechanical properties and shape memory.” Nature Communications 11, no. 1 (June 2020): 3250. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16945-8.
  • Shin, Y., and M. L. Becker. “Alternating ring-opening copolymerization of epoxides with saturated and unsaturated cyclic anhydrides: Reduced viscosity poly(propylene fumarate) oligomers for use in cDLP 3D printing.” Polymer Chemistry 11, no. 19 (May 21, 2020): 3313–21. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0py00453g.
  • Zhu, T., Y. Yang, L. Zheng, L. Liu, M. L. Becker, and X. Gong. “Solution-Processed Flexible Broadband Photodetectors with Solution-Processed Transparent Polymeric Electrode.” Advanced Functional Materials 30, no. 15 (April 1, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201909487.
  • Sayko, R., Z. Wang, H. Liang, M. L. Becker, and A. V. Dobrynin. “Degradation of Films of Block Copolymers: Molecular Dynamics Simulations.” Macromolecules 53, no. 4 (February 25, 2020): 1270–80. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02446.
  • Abel, Alexandra K., Nathan Z. Dreger, Karissa Nettleton, Tiffany P. Gustafson, Seth P. Forster, and Matthew L. Becker. “Amino Acid-Based Poly(ester urea)s as a Matrix for Extended Release of Entecavir.” Biomacromolecules 21, no. 2 (February 2020): 946–54. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01586.
  • Kleinfehn, Alex P., Jan A. Lammel Lindemann, Ali Razvi, Phinu Philip, Katelyn Richardson, Karissa Nettleton, Matthew L. Becker, and David Dean. “Modulating Bioglass Concentration in 3D Printed Poly(propylene fumarate) Scaffolds for Post-Printing Functionalization with Bioactive Functional Groups.” Biomacromolecules 20, no. 12 (December 2019): 4345–52. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00941.
  • Guerra, Antonio J., Jan Lammel-Lindemann, Alex Katko, Alex Kleinfehn, Ciro A. Rodriguez, Luiz H. Catalani, Matthew L. Becker, Joaquim Ciurana, and David Dean. “Optimization of photocrosslinkable resin components and 3D printing process parameters.” Acta Biomaterialia 97 (October 2019): 154–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2019.07.045.
  • Le Fer, G., Y. Luo, and M. L. Becker. “Poly(propylene fumarate) stars, using architecture to reduce the viscosity of 3D printable resins.” Polymer Chemistry 10, no. 34 (September 14, 2019): 4655–64. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9py00738e.
  • Xia, Xuhui, Garrett Bass, Matthew L. Becker, and Bryan D. Vogt. “Tuning Cooperative Assembly with Bottlebrush Block Co-polymers for Porous Metal Oxide Films Using Solvent Mixtures.” Langmuir : The ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids 35, no. 29 (July 2019): 9572–83. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01363.
  • Cai, Zhongyu, Yong Wan, Matthew L. Becker, Yun-Ze Long, and David Dean. “Poly(propylene fumarate)-based materials: Synthesis, functionalization, properties, device fabrication and biomedical applications.” Biomaterials 208 (July 2019): 45–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.03.038.
  • Luo, Yuanyuan, Gaëlle Le Fer, David Dean, and Matthew L. Becker. “3D Printing of Poly(propylene fumarate) Oligomers: Evaluation of Resin Viscosity, Printing Characteristics and Mechanical Properties.” Biomacromolecules 20, no. 4 (April 2019): 1699–1708. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00076.
  • Philip, Diana L., Elena A. Silantyeva, Matthew L. Becker, and Rebecca K. Willits. “RGD-Functionalized Nanofibers Increase Early GFAP Expression during Neural Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.” Biomacromolecules 20, no. 3 (March 2019): 1443–54. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00018.
  • Dilla, R. A., C. M. M. Motta, Y. Xu, Z. K. Zander, N. Bernard, C. G. Wiener, B. D. Vogt, and M. L. Becker. “Mechanically tunable, human mesenchymal stem cell viable poly(ethylene glycol)–oxime hydrogels with invariant precursor composition, concentration, and stoichiometry.” Materials Today Chemistry 11 (March 1, 2019): 244–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtchem.2018.11.003.
  • Xia, X., Z. Qiang, G. Bass, M. L. Becker, and B. D. Vogt. “Morphological control of hydrothermally synthesized cobalt oxide particles using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone).” Colloid and Polymer Science 297, no. 1 (January 17, 2019): 59–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-018-4434-4.
  • Guerra, Antonio J., Hernan Lara-Padilla, Matthew L. Becker, Ciro A. Rodriguez, and David Dean. “Photopolymerizable Resins for 3D-Printing Solid-Cured Tissue Engineered Implants.” Current Drug Targets 20, no. 8 (January 2019): 823–38. https://doi.org/10.2174/1389450120666190114122815.
  • Cavanaugh, M., E. Silantyeva, G. P. Koh, E. Malekzadeh, W. D. Lanzinger, R. K. Willits, and M. L. Becker. “RGD-modified nanofibers enhance outcomes in rats after sciatic nerve injury.” Journal of Functional Biomaterials 10, no. 2 (January 1, 2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb10020024.