Join the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE) for a lecture by Marcella K. Vaicik, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical engineering and faculty director of Illinois Tech @ Fulton Labs. The talk, titled “Rethinking Scale in Polymerization: Miniemulsion Strategies for Adipocyte Gene Therapy” at 3:15–4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in the Perlstein Hall Auditorium (room 131).

Biography

Dr. Marcella Vaicik is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on extracellular matrix–directed therapeutics and biomaterial platforms for gene modulation in adipose tissue. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Illinois Tech and completed postdoctoral training at the Hines VA Hospital. She also holds degrees in bioengineering and chemical engineering and previously worked in the chemical industry before returning to academia. Lab website: vaiciklab.wordpress.com.

Abstract

Adipose tissue (body fat) is a metabolically active endocrine organ composed primarily of adipocytes (fat cells) within an extracellular matrix that regulates cellular signaling and metabolic function. Genetic modulation of adipocytes represents a promising strategy for treating obesity, yet mature fat cells are highly resistant to conventional transfection, requiring delivery systems engineered for intracellular persistence and controlled release. We present a small-scale (10–20 mL) inverse phase miniemulsion polymerization strategy that reduces material use by >90% while preserving particle size (3 years) or cytocompatibility, with cell viability remaining well above the ISO 10993-5 non-cytotoxicity threshold (≥70%). In differentiated adipocytes, particles were rapidly internalized and sustained intracellular cargo release for eight days. By treating scale-down as a deliberate process engineering strategy, this work accelerates systematic optimization of siRNA delivery systems targeting adipocytes within adipose tissue.