Ut Dong Thach, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He has been in this position since August 2019, following his role as a lecturer in the Department of Polymer Chemistry at the University of Science, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City, from April 2017 to July 2019. Dr. Thach earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry and Physical Chemistry of Materials from the Institute Charles Gerhardt of Montpellier (ICGM) at the University of Montpellier, France, between 2013 and 2016. He also holds a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry, specializing in Materials Functional and Nanosciences (CHIMANA) from Le Mans University, France, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Science, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City.
His research interests include the isolation and semi-synthesis of natural products, the evaluation of their biological activities, the synthesis of hydrogels for biomedical applications, and the development of biodegradable gene and drug delivery systems. Dr. Thach has led several scientific projects, including the development of methods for determining total curcuminoids in health supplements and the synthesis of selective adsorbent materials for ciprofloxacin antibiotics. He has published numerous articles in international journals, contributing significantly to the fields of organic synthesis, organometallic chemistry, and materials science. His expertise encompasses various analytical techniques, including NMR, FT-IR, MS, and chromatography, as well as materials analysis methods such as XRD, TGA, and SEM.
Poly(β?amino ester)-Based Gene Delivery Systems: Synthesis, Physicochemical Characterization, and Applications
Poly(β-amino ester) (PβAE)-based polymers hold promise for bacterial gene transfer due to their ability to form stable complexes with genetic material and facilitate efficient delivery into bacterial cells. These polymers are easily modified to improve uptake and protect DNA or RNA from degradation, providing a safer, more controlled alternative to traditional methods like chemical transformation or electroporation. In this study, we evaluated the gene transformation efficiency of cationic PβAE polymer, which was synthesized through an aza-Michael addition reaction between piperazine and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate. Competent cells from E. coli strain DH5α were prepared with the optimized method using Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Different concentrations of the polymer were mixed with pRSET-EmGFP before transforming into competent cells through the heat shock method. Transformed cells were checked on medium containing ampicillin, and by using colony PCR, transformation efficiency was calculated. Based on our findings, we observed a successful transformation of the EmGFP gene in case of having the polymer. Furthermore, the PβAE at high concentrations (20–100 ng µL−1) increased transformation efficiency more than twice as compared to the case of no polymer added. In conclusion, PβAE can effectively increase transformation efficiency.