[1] A pioneer in the areas of polymer synthesis and protein biosynthesis, his research has a wide range of applications, including coatings, adhesion, lubrication, bioengineering and biomedical intervention.
He received a Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where his thesis advisor was Professor Otto Vogl.
He served as the director of the materials research laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1978 to 1998.
[10] His work in macromolecular synthesis underlies the development of "smart" materials, which respond to external cues like temperature, pH, chemical reagents, or light.
[11][12][13] Tirrell has gone on to make important contributions to protein biosynthesis, effectively reprogramming the genetic code of biological cells to produce artificial, protein-like macromolecules.