Research Bio
Phillip Messersmith is a materials scientist and bioengineer whose research focuses on bioinspired materials, tissue repair, and regenerative medicine. He develops synthetic and polymeric materials that mimic the chemistry of natural systems, such as mussel adhesion, for applications in surgery, wound healing, and drug delivery. Messersmith’s work integrates chemistry, biology, and materials science to design multifunctional biomaterials that interface seamlessly with tissues. His research advances the understanding of biological interfacial phenomena and informs the development of new approaches to tissue repair and regeneration.
He is Professor of Bioengineering and Materials Science at UC Berkeley and Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Materials Research Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition to his research, he mentors and teaches students in the fields of biomaterials design, materials science, polymer science, and nanomedicine.
Research Expertise and Interest
adhesion, polymers, regenerative medicine, sustainable polymers, biomimetics, medical devices
In the News
Seven Faculty Named Fellows of American Association for the Advancement of Science
Recyclable Adhesives Easily Adapted for Medical, Consumer and Industrial Applications
Bakar Fellows Program Selects Seven Projects for Spark Awards
Bakar Fellows Program Names Seven New Spark Award Recipients
Fetal surgery stands to advance from new glues inspired by mussels
UC Berkeley engineer Phillip Messersmith is happy to be learning lessons from a lowly mollusk, with the expectation that the knowledge gained will enable him and fellow physicians to prevent deaths among their youngest patients — those who haven’t been born yet.