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Matthew L Becker

Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
Chemistry
B120 Levine Science Res Center, 308 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708
B120 Levine Science Res Center, 308 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


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.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Chemistry · 2020 - Present Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Chemistry · 2019 - Present Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science · 2019 - Present Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Biomedical Engineering · 2019 - Present Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering

In the News


Published June 14, 2023
How the Partnership of a Duke Ph.D. and a Professor Led to Multiple Medical Device Start-Ups
Published January 26, 2022
Sweet Science: Researchers Develop Recyclable Plastics Based on Sugars
Published January 11, 2021
Post-Surgical Patch Releases Non-Opioid Painkiller Directly to the Wound

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Recent Publications


Compositional Control of Stereocomplexed Hydrogel Microparticle Network Formation and Physical Properties.

Journal Article Biomacromolecules · June 2025 Granular hydrogel scaffolds composed of many discrete hydrogel microparticles (HMPs) have demonstrated significant advantages over bulk hydrogels, including injectability and the flexibility to incorporate diverse chemistries, physical properties, and bioa ... Full text Cite

Resorbable 3D-Printed Osteosynthetic Plates for Rib Fracture Repair.

Journal Article Adv Healthc Mater · May 19, 2025 Rib fractures are common among blunt chest trauma patients and are a hallmark of severe thoracic injury with high morbidity and mortality rates. The standard treatment of most rib fracture cases is limited to pain control and respiratory support, with the ... Full text Link to item Cite

An acoustofluidic embedding platform for rapid multiphase microparticle injection.

Journal Article Nature communications · May 2025 Droplet manipulation technologies play a critical role in many aspects of biochemical research, including in complex reaction assays useful for drug delivery, for building artificial cells, and in synthetic biology. While advancements have been made in man ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Boston Children's/UCLA/Duke Next Generation Regeneration for Osteoarthritis (BUD NextGenRegen for OA)

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health · 2024 - 2029

University Training Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1994 - 2027

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Education, Training & Certifications


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