• Dr. Wen Tang is an Associate Professor at the South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, South China University of Technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the University of Akron (USA) and conducted postdoctoral research at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Langer. With over a decade of interdisciplinary expertise in polymer chemistry, biomaterials, and drug delivery systems, Dr. Tang has pioneered advancements in redox-responsive antibacterial materials, peptide self-assembly, and stimuli-responsive nanocarriers. Her work bridges fundamental research and translational applications, aiming to address critical challenges in antimicrobial therapies, cancer treatment, and nutrient delivery. She has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier journals (J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.) and holds multiple patents in bioactive material design. Her research is distinguished by collaborations with leading global institutions and a strong emphasis on innovation in functional soft matter.

1. Antimicrobial Polymers and Peptides: Designing redox-responsive and enzyme-triggered antibacterial agents for combating drug-resistant infections.

2. Stimuli-Responsive Drug Delivery Systems: Developing pH-, thermal-, and enzyme-activated nanoplatforms for targeted delivery of therapeutics (e.g., antibiotics, micronutrients, anticancer agents).

• Guo, J.; Zhang, S.; Tao, Y.; Zheng, W.; Cheng, H.; Li, H.; Wang, Z.; Gou, Y.; Zhu, J.; Li, L.; Liu, Y.; Becker, M. L.*; Tang, W.* Synthesis of cationic cyclic oligo(disulfide)s via cyclo-depolymerization: A redox-responsive and potent antibacterial reagent. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2025, 147, 6772-6785.

• Du, Z.; Dai, J.; Wang, Z.; Ye, Z.; Lei, H.; Guo, Q.-Y.; Yan, X.-Y.; Li, M.; Li, M.; Zhao, W.; Zhang, B.; Huang, Y.; Yang, Z.; Huang, Z.; Yin, P.; Jiang, L.; Zhang, R.*; Tang, W.* Engineering the self-assembly pathways of poss-peptide amphiphiles to form diverse cross-β structures. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, e202420043.

• Dai, Q.; Du, Z.; Jing, L.; Zhang, R.*; Tang, W.* Enzyme-Responsive Modular Peptides Enhance Tumor Penetration of Quantum Dots via Charge Reversal Strategy. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces2024. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11500.

• Wang, L.; Du, Z.; Xu, M.; Dai, Q.; Guo, Q.-Y.; Fan, B.; Tang, W.* Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Nanoparticles Formed of POSS–PEG for the Delivery of Boronic Acid-Containing Therapeutics. Biomacromolecules2023, 24 (11), 5071-5082. DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00677.

• Liu, X.; Tang, L.; Chen, Y.; Fu, M.; Guo, Z.-H.; Tang, W.*; Yue, K.* Solvent-Free Templated Synthesis of Core-Crosslinked Star-Shaped Polymers in Supramolecular Body-Centered Cubic Phase. Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2023, 44, 2200292.

• Tang, W.; Zhuang, J.; Anselmo, A. C.; Xu, X.; Duan, A.; Zhang, R.; Sugarman, J. L.; Zeng, Y.; Rosenberg, E.; Graf, T.; McHugh, K. J.; Tzeng, S. Y.; Behrens, A. M.; Freed, L. E.; Jing, L.; Jayawardena, S.; Weinstock, S. B.; Le, X.; Sears, C.; Oxley, J.; Daristotle, J. L.; Collins, J.; Langer, R.; Jaklenec, A. Enhanced stability and clinical absorption of a form of encapsulated vitamin A for food fortification. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.2022, 119, e2211534119.

• Guo, J.; Zhang, S.; Tao, Y.; Fan, B.; Tang, W.* Glutathione-triggered biodegradable poly(disulfide)s: Ring-opening copolymerization and potent antibacterial activity. Polym. Chem.2022, 13, 6637-6649.

• Fan, B.; Cui, N.; Xu, Z.; Chen, K.; Yin, P.; Yue, K.; Tang, W.* Thermoresponsive and Self-Healing Hydrogel Based on Chitosan Derivatives and Polyoxometalate as an Antibacterial Coating. Biomacromolecules2022, 23, 972-982.

• Du, Z.; Fan, B.; Dai, Q.; Wang, L.; Guo, J.; Ye, Z.; Cui, N.; Chen, J.; Tan, K.; Li, R.; Tang, W.* Supramolecular peptide nanostructures: Self-assembly and biomedical applications. Giant2022, 9, 100082.

• Du, Z.; Wang, L.; Ye, Z.; Yan, X.; Cheng, S. Z-D.; Tang, W.* Self-assembly of Giant Surfactants in Solution. Polymer Materials Science & Engineering2021, 37 (1), 157-168.