Michelle Gaines, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry & biochemistry, received a two-year NSF HBCU-UP-LEAPS-MPS grant entitled “Surface Morphological Effect on Biomolecular Attachment to Responsive Microgels for Tunable Biomimetic 3D-Cell Culture Scaffolds.” This grant will allow Dr. Gaines to establish a robust biomaterials research program that examines the chemical and physical behavior of material biomaterials and synthetic biocompatible polymers to study disease tissues.