Chemistry Seminar: Brent Sumerlin, University of Florida

Carnegie Mellon University Department of Chemistry Fall 2026 Seminar Series Brent Sumerlin University of Florida Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polymers for Entanglement Engineering and Mucosal Medicine Host: Kevin Noonan Monday September 28th, 2026 4:00 p.m. Mellon Institute Conference Room 348 Abstract: We have developed a photopolymerization route to well-defined ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) (co)polymers. This photoiniferter polymerization approach reaches molecular weights in excess of 107 g/mol with degrees of polymerization above 100,000. We have observed that as synthetic polymers reach UHMW, many of the established relationships that connect chain length to physical and solution properties break down and enter new regimes. New properties emerge (e.g., shape memory), providing access to materials that blur the line between thermoplastics and thermosets by relying solely on chain entanglement. We have also recently begun investigating these polymers as mucin-mimetic compounds. Aberrant mucin production is associated with various biological phenomena, including cancer, inflammation, and infection. While recent developments in polymer synthesis have shown promise for developing new macromolecules as mucin replacements, most of these reports rely on designing mucin-mimetic copolymers that resemble the intricate biomolecular structure of these heavily glycosylated UHMW proteins. We have instead developed polymers that differ significantly from mucins in their structure but behave similarly by a careful balance of UHMW backbones with mucoadhesive functionality and have begun their evaluation for the treatment of a variety of gastrointestinal diseases, including gut mucosal deficiencies. Bio: Brent Sumerlin is the George Bergen Butler Chair in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Florida. He received his PhD in Polymer Science & Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi under the guidance of Charles McCormick. After completing his PhD, Sum