(6d) Transport Phenomena within Tissue Engineering Materials

My research interests include biomaterials, tissue engineering, and bioreactor design. The main thrust of my dissertation is applying engineering principles to investigate transport phenomena within tissue engineering scaffolds. Mass transfer is an important aspect of tissue engineering that is often overlooked when designing scaffold materials. Nutrient mass transfer limitations lead to a host of problems during tissue regeneration. The issue is complicated further when using composite materials reinforced with impermeable membranes. One such composite has been developed to mimic the mechanical properties of small intestinal submucosa, a natural material clinically used in regeneration. The composite is a sandwich configuration with porous natural polymers surrounding a synthetic polymer membrane [1]. I am investigating both local and global scaffold mass transport using a nanoparticle controlled release system, computational simulations, and a bioreactor setup. For local mass trasport, I am utilizing nanoparticles prepared in house.

[1]. Lawrence B, Maase EL, Madihally SV. Synthetic Scaffolds Mimicking Small Intestinal Submucosa. J. Biomedical Materials Research-Part A. (accepted pending revision). 2007.