Research in the Proteins - Polymers - Interfaces Group (PPIG) focuses on proteins and other macromolecules at biomaterial-host interfaces.

Recent research themes include:
- effects of biomaterials surface chemistry on the proteins-surface interactions and dynamics,
- screening platelets-surface interactions using surface chemistry gradients,
- characterization of materials interfaces using adhesion and elasticity mapping at nanometer resolution,
- controlling blood proteins interactions with surfaces by using µ-contact printed surface patterns and mixed lipids film,
- axonal pathfinding based on random and gradient surface distribution of permissive and inhibitory signals.
The main approach is to observe interfacial events involving few molecules at short length and time scales. Surface Analysis and Imaging Laboratory utilizes various experimental techniques such as FCS, TIRF, SFM, QCM, SPR and others.

Recent book chapters and reviews:
- J. Buijs and V. Hlady. Optical Spectroscopy of Proteins at Interfaces, in “Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science, 2nd Edition” (A. Hubbard, Ed.), Taylor & Francis: New York, 2006; 6, pp. 4302 - 4317.
- V. Hlady and J. Buijs: Local and Global Optical Spectroscopic Probes of Adsorbed Proteins, a chapter in "Biopolymers at
Interfaces" 2nd edition (M. Malmsten, Ed), M. Dekker Inc., 2003.
- D.W. Britt, G. Jogikalmath and V. Hlady, Protein Interactions with Monolayers at the Air/Water Interface, a chapter in
"Biopolymers at Interfaces" 2nd edition (M. Malmsten, Ed), M. Dekker Inc., 2003.

Papers not listed in PubMed:
- G. Hodgkinson and V. Hlady: The effects of proteoglycan surface patterning on neuronal pathfinding, Materialwissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik, 38(12) (2007) 975-82.
- G.N. Hodgkinson and V. Hlady, How surface heterogeneity affects protein adsorption: annealing of OTS patterns and albumin adsorption kinetics. Croatica Chemica Acta, 80(3-4) (2007) 405-20.
- G. Hodgkinson and V. Hlady: Relating protein adsorption to material's surface heterogeneity. I. The effect of annealing of micro-contact printed OTS pattern, J. Adhes. Sci. Tech, 19 (3-5) (2005) 235-255.
- X.-Z. Du and V. Hlady, Monolayer formation on silicon and mica surfaces rearranged from N-hexadecanoyl-L-alanine supramolecular structures, J. Phys. Chem. B, 106 (2002) 7295-7299.
- Y. Zhang, A. Pungor, G. Jogikalmath and V. Hlady: Design of digitally controlled adhesion imaging mode using a scanning force microscope, J. Adhesion Sci. Technol. 14 (2000) 1751 – 1765.
- D. W. Britt, D. Möbius and V. Hlady, Ferritin adsorption to multicomponent monolayers: Influence of lipid charge density, miscibility and fluidity, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2 (2000) 4594 – 4599.

Maran U, Britt D, Fox CB, Harris JM, Orendt AM, Conley H, Davis R, Hlady V, Stang PJ, Self-assembly of a triangle-shaped, hexaplatinum-incorporated, supramolecular amphiphile in solution and at interfaces. Chemistry 2009 Aug 24;15(34):8566-77

Hodgkinson GN, Tresco PA, Hlady V, The influence of sub-micron inhibitory clusters on growth cone substratum attachments and CD44 expression. Biomaterials 2008 Nov;29(31):4227-35

Maran U, Conley H, Frank M, Arif AM, Orendt AM, Britt D, Hlady V, Davis R, Stang PJ, Giant micelles of organoplatinum(II) gemini amphiphiles. Langmuir 2008 May 20;24(10):5400-10

Hodgkinson G, Hlady V, Relating material surface heterogeneity to protein adsorption: the effect of annealing of micro-contact-printed OTS patterns. J Adhes Sci Technol 2008;19(3-5):235-255

Hodgkinson GN, Hlady V, How Surface Heterogeneity Affects Protein Adsorption: Annealing of OTS Patterns and Albumin Adsorption Kinetics. Croat Chem Acta 2007 Nov 1;80(3-4):405-420

Turner NW, Liu X, Piletsky SA, Hlady V, Britt DW, Recognition of conformational changes in beta-lactoglobulin by molecularly imprinted thin films. Biomacromolecules 2007 Sep;8(9):2781-7

Stevens AP, Hlady V, Dull RO, Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy can probe albumin dynamics inside lung endothelial glycocalyx. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2007 Aug;293(2):L328-35

Hodgkinson GN, Tresco PA, Hlady V, The differential influence of colocalized and segregated dual protein signals on neurite outgrowth on surfaces. Biomaterials 2007 Jun;28(16):2590-602

Turner NW, Wright BE, Hlady V, Britt DW, Formation of protein molecular imprints within Langmuir monolayers: a quartz crystal microbalance study. J Colloid Interface Sci 2007 Apr 1;308(1):71-80

Stevens MJ, Steren RE, Hlady V, Stewart RJ, Multiscale structure of the underwater adhesive of Phragmatopoma californica: a nanostructured latex with a steep microporosity gradient. Langmuir 2007 Apr 24;23(9):5045-9

Hlady V, Jogikalmath G, Albumin binding and insertion into PS-b-PEO monolayers at air-water interface. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2007 Feb 15;54(2):179-87

Turner NW, Jeans CW, Brain KR, Allender CJ, Hlady V, Britt D , From 3D to 2D: A Review of the Molecular Imprinting of Proteins. Biotechnol Prog 2006 Dec 1;22(6):1474-1489

Du X, Hlady V, Britt D, Langmuir monolayer approaches to protein recognition through molecular imprinting. Biosens Bioelectron 2005 Apr 15;20(10):2053-60

Du X, Hlady V, Monolayer Formation on Silicon and Mica Surfaces Rearranged from N-Hexadecanoyl-l-alanine Supramolecular Structures. J Phys Chem B 2002 Jun 29;106(29):7295-7299

Hlady V, Ho CH, Human Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and Human Serum Albumin (HSA) Co-Adsorption Onto the C18-Silica Gradient Surface. Materwiss Werksttech 2001 Feb 5;32(2):185-192

Webb K, Hlady V, Tresco PA, Relationships among cell attachment, spreading, cytoskeletal organization, and migration rate for anchorage-dependent cells on model surfaces. J Biomed Mater Res 2000 Mar 5;49(3):362-8

Dupont-Gillain CC, Nysten B, Hlady V V, Rouxhet P , Atomic Force Microscopy and Wettability Study of Oxidized Patterns at the Surface of Polystyrene. J Colloid Interface Sci 1999 Dec 1;220(1):163-169

Stuart JK, Hlady V, Reflection interference contrast microscopy combined with scanning force microscopy verifies the nature of protein-ligand interaction force measurements. Biophys J 1999 Jan;76(1 Pt 1):500-8

Hlady V, Buijs J, Jennissen HP, Methods for studying protein adsorption. Methods Enzymol 1999;309():402-29