Current Projects
Bacterial Adhesion, Bacterial Interaction Forces, and Biopolymers
The center measures bacterial interaction forces with atomic force microscopy and relates the measurements to bacterial adhesion. The role of polysaccharides in adhesion is also being studied, and the conformation of biopolymers is being probed using single-molecule force microscopy and statistical analysis. Bacterial adhesion is important in environmental engineering and a variety of biomedical applications.
Biopolymers for Environmental and Biomedical Applications
Due to their highly viscous fluid properties and low immunogenicity, many biopolymers lend themselves to a wide variety of applications. Poly-y-glutamic acid, a natural biopolymer produced from fermentation cultures of Bacillus licheniformis, has been applied to the concentration and recovery of heavy metals from dilute industrial wastewater and as an encapsulation matrix for drug delivery.
Chemical Surface Modification for Prevention of Microbial Biofilm Formation
The formation of microbial biofilms on implanted surgical devices, including central venous catheters, results in catheter-related blood stream infections (CRBSI). CRBSI's occur in 6-10 percent of all catheterized patients and lead to increased morbidity and mortality, longer hospitalization, and more than $10 billion per year in additional healthcare costs. This project applies novel chemical surface modification techniques to prevent the formation of bioftlms and associated problems, including thrombosis.
Microtextured Basal Lamina Analogs to Control Keratinocyte Function
Prolonged healing times and mechanically induced graft failure remain persistent problems with bioengineered skin substitutes used to treat injuries, such as burns. Working to improve these tissue analogs, the center seeks to understand the mechanisms by which the three-dimensional microarchitecture and the biochemical composition of tissue scaffolds modulate keratinocyte adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, as well as the morphogenesis of cells into functional skin analogs.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: April 19, 2007 10:27:31