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ZIERDEN LAB
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Using biological nanoparticles to understand and treat human health
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The Zierden lab aims to understand the function of bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) produced by vaginal microbes, and use these vesicles to engineer biocompatible therapies for healthy pregnancies. Given that they already exist within a host, bEVs present as an ideal platform for engineering biocompatible, largely scalable therapies. In an effort to learn from and mimic bEVs, our lab is working towards establishing bEV interactions with microbes and host cells in the female reproductive tract, determining the impacts of bEVs on pregnancy outcomes and long-term offspring development, and engineering bEVs as therapies to prevent preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. By isolating the effects of bEVs in vivo the Zierden Lab is exploring a previously unexplored mechanism of communication between the vaginal microbiome and the host, and gain important insight into using these vesicles as therapeutics. The success of these projects will be useful for more broadly understanding host-microbe interactions and developing biomimetic therapies for women's health, gastrointestinal, and infectious disorders.


Zierden Lab News


  • Alyssa awarded NSF GRFP! April 2025
  • Alyssa and Raj win Clark School Three Minute Thesis Competition! March 2025
  • Darby and Dr. Zierden present at SRI in Charlotte! March 2025
  • Caroline and Dong are awarded ASPIRE Fellowships! February 2025
  • Darby, Kiana, and Dr. Zierden present at MAMPM! February 2025
  • Raj joins the lab! December 2024
  • Alyssa gives a talk at AIChE with a travel award! October 2024
  • Dr. Zierden and Dr. Kofinas receive an FDA Grant to better understand polymer degradation in the female reproductive tract. August 2024 
  • Dr. Zierden receives an ICTR K12! August 2024
  • Robby receives an HPI T32! August 2024
  • Darby receives an ICTR T32! August 2024
  • Robby gives a talk at CRS with a travel award! July 2024
  • Darby and Robby receive UMD Microbiome Center Summer Scholarships! June 2024
  • Dr. Zierden awarded Maryland Outstanding Young Engineer Award! May 2024
  • Darby presents at SRI with a Fischell Institute Travel Award! March 2024
  • Alyssa joins the lab! January 2024
  • Robby and Darby attend CRS! July 2023
  • Yasmi, Karolina, Hayden and Ethan receive research scholarships from UMD! Summer and Fall 2023
  • Robby and Darby join the lab! January 2023
  • Zierden Lab opens at UMD! August 2022
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