The Material Science of Biomimetic Soft Network Composites. Nature combines stiff and strong collagen fibres intertwined within a weak polymer matrix of proteoglycans into soft tissues with outstanding mechanical durability and biological properties. We converge a biomimetic design strategy inspired in the architecture of natural soft tissues and a novel additive manufacturing technology termed melt electrowriting (MEW) to manufacture advanced biomimetic soft network composites (BSNC). The SNCs ....The Material Science of Biomimetic Soft Network Composites. Nature combines stiff and strong collagen fibres intertwined within a weak polymer matrix of proteoglycans into soft tissues with outstanding mechanical durability and biological properties. We converge a biomimetic design strategy inspired in the architecture of natural soft tissues and a novel additive manufacturing technology termed melt electrowriting (MEW) to manufacture advanced biomimetic soft network composites (BSNC). The SNCs are composed of a weak polymer matrix and a MEW reinforcing fibrous phase printed at the nanometre scale, containing patterns mimicking the natural tissue architectures. Advanced computational tools are applied for the rational design of the SNC while reducing costs and times associated to experimental work.Read moreRead less
Bioengineered bioscaffolds for Achilles tendinopathy treatment. The purpose of the project is to improve outcomes following the surgical treatment of Achilles tendinopathy. The expected outcome is the development in animals of new ways to design tissue engineered bioscaffolds for the surgical repair of Achilles tendinopathy.
Novel Antimicrobial Biomaterials. There is a clear need for new materials that repel bacteria. Infections associated with biomaterials incur a high cost in terms of human health and well being, but such infections also increase the burden on the health care system by extending hospital stays and significantly elevating costs. The cost of a catheter-related blood stream infection is around $50,000 for patients in intensive care units. If all medical devices are considered, the cost of related inf ....Novel Antimicrobial Biomaterials. There is a clear need for new materials that repel bacteria. Infections associated with biomaterials incur a high cost in terms of human health and well being, but such infections also increase the burden on the health care system by extending hospital stays and significantly elevating costs. The cost of a catheter-related blood stream infection is around $50,000 for patients in intensive care units. If all medical devices are considered, the cost of related infections is then approximately $20 billion. The technology proposed here has the potential to reduce biomaterial related infection rates, improve health care and reduce health care costs. Read moreRead less
Tissue distraction: A novel approach to enhance tissue growth for soft tissue engineering purposes. This project will provide new tissues for the expanding field of regenerative medicine to treat numerous tissue defects and
1.Benefit the health & economic well being of Australian society by rapidly supplying organs and tissues.
2.Benefit the academic community by a multidisciplinary approach, involving several academic Institutions in the fields of surgery, tissue engineering, physiology, morph ....Tissue distraction: A novel approach to enhance tissue growth for soft tissue engineering purposes. This project will provide new tissues for the expanding field of regenerative medicine to treat numerous tissue defects and
1.Benefit the health & economic well being of Australian society by rapidly supplying organs and tissues.
2.Benefit the academic community by a multidisciplinary approach, involving several academic Institutions in the fields of surgery, tissue engineering, physiology, morphology, polymer chemistry & biomolecular engineering that will produce basic scientific data with a practical application. Post-graduate students and staff will train & gain significant knowledge in this area.
3. Benefit industry through new product development and IP. This project advances a platform technology with multiple applications.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100175
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$347,070.00
Summary
Three-dimensional additive bio-fabrication facility: printing bioprinters. This project aims to develop bioprinting systems that will provide new insights into fundamental biological processes. The 3D Additive Bio-Fabrication Facility - Printing Bioprinters capability will use 3D polymer and metal additive manufacturing technologies to create the next generation of bioprinting methodologies and 3D fabrication tools. It is the aim that these customised additive manufacturing systems will be used ....Three-dimensional additive bio-fabrication facility: printing bioprinters. This project aims to develop bioprinting systems that will provide new insights into fundamental biological processes. The 3D Additive Bio-Fabrication Facility - Printing Bioprinters capability will use 3D polymer and metal additive manufacturing technologies to create the next generation of bioprinting methodologies and 3D fabrication tools. It is the aim that these customised additive manufacturing systems will be used to produce structures wherein living cells are spatially organised in combination with appropriate biomaterials and bioactive components, such as drugs or growth factors, in order to influence subsequent biological behaviour.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354583
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Biodevice fabrication through intelligent surface modification. Achieving the reliable control of the attachment of proteins and other macromolecules to surfaces needed for sophisticated biosensors and medical diagnostics requires expertise and infrastructure from a diverse range of disciplines from the physical, chemical and biological sciences and engineering. This network will bring together researchers from a multidisciplinary pool working on problems relevant to the creation of functional s ....Biodevice fabrication through intelligent surface modification. Achieving the reliable control of the attachment of proteins and other macromolecules to surfaces needed for sophisticated biosensors and medical diagnostics requires expertise and infrastructure from a diverse range of disciplines from the physical, chemical and biological sciences and engineering. This network will bring together researchers from a multidisciplinary pool working on problems relevant to the creation of functional surfaces for applications in biodevices. The program we envisage will break down the barriers imposed by disciplinary boundaries and technical terminology to bring together the skills and infrastructure required to make rapid advances in this field.Read moreRead less
The Tissue Engineering of Tissue Regeneration: Innovative Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration. The aim of this work is to advance the science of tissue regeneration closer towards potential clinical applications. To do this we hope to solve some problems currently preventing this type of therapy from developing further.
The significance of this work is that it will help us further understand why this phenomenon is limited in humans and most animals, but present in lower order vertebrates ....The Tissue Engineering of Tissue Regeneration: Innovative Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration. The aim of this work is to advance the science of tissue regeneration closer towards potential clinical applications. To do this we hope to solve some problems currently preventing this type of therapy from developing further.
The significance of this work is that it will help us further understand why this phenomenon is limited in humans and most animals, but present in lower order vertebrates such as salamanders.
The expected outcome is the design of innovative biomaterials suited for effective tissue reconstruction and regeneration with widespread clinical applications.
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Design and Fabrication of an Engineered Bone Graft System (EBGS) by combining a composite scaffold and growth factor delivery system. The lifetime risk for long bone fractures in Caucasians over the age of 50 is 17% for women and 6% for men. The prevalence of age-related fractures - and with it higher mortality rates due to complications following bone fractures - is therefore bound to increase over the coming decades. There is clearly a great need for therapies that take age-related changes in ....Design and Fabrication of an Engineered Bone Graft System (EBGS) by combining a composite scaffold and growth factor delivery system. The lifetime risk for long bone fractures in Caucasians over the age of 50 is 17% for women and 6% for men. The prevalence of age-related fractures - and with it higher mortality rates due to complications following bone fractures - is therefore bound to increase over the coming decades. There is clearly a great need for therapies that take age-related changes into consideration, in particular the diminishing capacity of bone to heal with age. In an effort to address the therapeutic challenges of providing bone grafts, we aim to mesh two leading-edge technologies to design and fabricate an Engineered Bone Graft System (EBGS) system. Read moreRead less
Development and characterization of a technology platform to study the mechanisms of scaffold/Bone Morphogenic Proteins (BMP) augmented large segmental bone healing. This project will increase understanding of bone engineering and in doing so will lead to superior treatments for bone defects. Such a treatment would be valuable in addressing the ever-increasing problems of diminished productivity and reduced quality of life associated with bone disorders as the population ages. The multidisciplin ....Development and characterization of a technology platform to study the mechanisms of scaffold/Bone Morphogenic Proteins (BMP) augmented large segmental bone healing. This project will increase understanding of bone engineering and in doing so will lead to superior treatments for bone defects. Such a treatment would be valuable in addressing the ever-increasing problems of diminished productivity and reduced quality of life associated with bone disorders as the population ages. The multidisciplinary and international team will be valuable in establishing Australia's prominence in this field and training the next generation of young scientists and engineers. The technologies developed will be of great interest to a large number of research groups and companies worldwide and will assist with fostering international collaboration and placing Australia at the forefront of this emerging field.Read moreRead less
Frontiers in bone and joint regeneration. Key outcomes of this project will deliver innovative strategies for scaffold-based bone and cartilage engineering whilst contributing to the education of a new generation of bioengineers, biomaterial scientists and tissue engineers with a strong international profile.