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.