{"id":5,"date":"2017-03-28T14:40:32","date_gmt":"2017-03-28T18:40:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1408.mse.ncsu.edu\/labean\/home\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T12:19:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T16:19:21","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mse.ncsu.edu\/labean\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to the LaBean Research Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
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The Biopolymer Engineering and Nanotechnology Laboratory, led by Thom LaBean, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, designs and constructs self-assembling molecular materials using DNA and proteins as programmable building blocks. Drawing inspiration from nature\u2019s molecular recognition principles, the group engineers artificial materials with precise nanoscale features and investigates new approaches for biomimetic nanofabrication to overcome the scaling limits of traditional semiconductor and photonic device processing. Their research also extends to medical applications, developing bionanotechnology tools such as enzyme inhibitors, targeted metabolic activators and strategies to program cell surface receptor behavior for therapeutic outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Innovating Life\u2019s Blueprint in Nanotechnology<\/h2>\n

\n As a co-founder of Helixomer Inc., we are leading the design of self-assembling DNA nanostructures<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n \n\n\n

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Key Research Areas<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n
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Biopolymer Engineering<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Designing and synthesizing self-assembling DNA and protein-based nanostructures for molecular materials with nanoscale precision<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n\n\n \n

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Biomimetic Nanofabrication<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Developing soft matter nanofabrication techniques to push electronic and photonic device dimensions below current scaling limits using biomolecular templates and artificial biomineralization<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n\n\n \n

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Bionanotechnology for Medicine<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Creating enzyme inhibitors, targeted thrombolytic activators, and programmable cell receptor modulators for therapeutic applications<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Thom LaBean, Principal Investigator<\/h2>\n

Thom LaBean received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and his B.S. in biochemistry from the Honors College at Michigan State University. Following postdoctoral work in protein design at Duke University, he served as a research professor there with appointments in Computer Science, Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering. He joined NC State in 2011. His research focuses on the structure, evolution and engineering of biopolymers, with current projects centered on the design, construction, and testing of self-assembling DNA nanostructures for applications in nanomedicine, molecular materials and biomimetic nanoelectronics.<\/p>\n \n

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