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Research

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Our lab focuses on the design and development of chitosan-based materials and composites for:

  • Dental / Craniofacial and Orthopaedic Alloys Corrosion / Degradation studies

  • Surface Modification / Coatings

  • Bone Cell Mechanics

  • Chitosan-Based Materials for Implant Coatings

  • Bone Tissue Engineering / Regenerative Medicine Engineering

  • Drug Delivery.

 

Research encompasses bulk and surface materials properties, in vitro, and in vivo biocompatibility testing using a wide range of cells including macrophage, fibroblast, osteoblast, and endothelial cell cultures and rodent soft and hard tissue models.

Current Research

Design and development of chitosan-based materials and composites for: 

  • Dental and orthopedic implant coatings

  • Composites for bone grafts

  • Injectable micro- and nanoparticles for tissue scaffolds/templates and drug delivery

  • Electrospinning, and electrospraying of fibers/membranes/coatings
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 What Chitosan Can Do

We use chitosan for many applications and its excellent features including antibacterial, biodegradable, biocompatible, and polycationic properties. 

Sponges

The density and morphology of chitosan sponges can be readily controlled by tailoring the concentration of original chitosan solutions. Often utilized for wound healing.

Electrospun Membrane

Electrospinning is a progressive method which produces fibers ranging from the submicron level to several nanometers in diameter in a high voltage electrostatic field. These membranes are commonly used for guided tissue regeneration.

Micro/Nano-Beads

Chitosan has been used as a carrier in polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery through various routes of administration. 

Casting Films

Used for making wearable circuits, chitosan films are a material with excellent barrier and antibacterial properties. 

Coatings

Chitosan coatings provide special opportunities to modify surfaces of biomaterials through biochemical functionality and improving biocompatibility for tissue integration and drug delivery.

Additive Manufacturing 

While still under early exploration, 3D printing technologies represent a new avenue to explore the potential application of chitosan as an ink for 3D printing, or as a coating on other 3D printed scaffolds. 

Technology

​Research encompasses bulk and surface materials properties, in vitro, and in vivo biocompatibility testing using a wide range of cells including macrophage, fibroblast, osteoblast, and endothelial cell cultures and rodent soft and hard tissue models.

Equipment

  • VCA Optima Contact Angle Machine

  • Thermofisher Ultimate 3000 HPLC

  • Multiflo Fx

  • Charged Aerosol Detector

  • Shimadzu Prominence Gel Permeation Chromatograephy; aqueous-based

  • Netzsch 200 Phox Differential Scanning Calorimeter

  • Custom Electrospinning and micro/nano- bead manufacturing system

  • Instron  Mechanical Test System (50-500N)

  • Gamry Potentiostat

  • Isotemp Programmable Furnace

  • Isotemp Vacuum oven

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Cell/Tissue/Bacterial Culture Facilities

  • Complete Mammalian Cell Culture Facilities

  • Eppendorf Thermocycler

  • SDS-PAGE and PCR Gel Electrophoresis

  • Fluorescent and Light Microscopy

  • Bioquant Osteo II Image Analysis System

  • Spectrophotometry

  • Biosafety Level II microbiological laboratory

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Other Equipment available for use on a fee for service basis

  • Nova NanoSEM 650 SEM 

  • K-alpha XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) 

  • XRD 

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Animal Facility

  • We have access to small rodent facilities to perform pre-clinical in-vivo studies subject to approval from the University IACUC committee.

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