Nate Oldenhuis

Nate Oldenhuis serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of New Hampshire, where his research pioneers biomaterials at the chemistry-biology interface. His work focuses on synthesizing soft materials that replicate biological tissue properties using semisynthetic and biologically derived macromolecules.

He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California - Irvine and a B.S. from the University of Iowa.

Research centers on three interconnected domains: controlling topological features in soft materials for mechanical property tuning, designing novel living supramolecular polymerization monomers, and developing far-from-equilibrium materials. This approach leverages natural material principles to engineer advanced synthetic systems with biological fidelity.

Analysis of recent publications reveals a cohesive research trajectory in DNA-based soft materials, particularly supramolecular hydrogels and topologically engineered polymers. The work bridges polymer chemistry, materials science, and chemical biology with emphasis on tunable thermal, viscoelastic, and rheological properties.

Major recognitions include:

• NSF CAREER Award (2024)
• NIH NIGMS Maximizing Investigators Research Award (2024)

Mentorship encompasses active guidance of Ph.D. candidates (Wynter, Nick, Shaina, Jaeger, Lydia) and Master's students (Linda, Jasmine, April), with recent graduations of Dylan, Madigan, Aubrianna, and Bryna. His lab maintains strong industry and cross-disciplinary collaborations supported by substantial grant funding.

The Natolab operates as a dynamic research ecosystem where graduate students and postdocs collaborate on cutting-edge projects in biomaterials synthesis, characterization, and application development.