Bioinks that Advance 3D bioprinting of cells to the 4th dimension. The aim of this research is to provide a simple method for creating complex 3D cell cultures for in vitro cell based assays using 3D printing. A versatile polymer system as a bioink made from entirely commercially available components, will be advanced that gives a full range of soft tissue mimics and which can be dynamically change on-demand after printing of the 3D cell cultures. The latter will provide in vitro mimics of in vi ....Bioinks that Advance 3D bioprinting of cells to the 4th dimension. The aim of this research is to provide a simple method for creating complex 3D cell cultures for in vitro cell based assays using 3D printing. A versatile polymer system as a bioink made from entirely commercially available components, will be advanced that gives a full range of soft tissue mimics and which can be dynamically change on-demand after printing of the 3D cell cultures. The latter will provide in vitro mimics of in vivo events never previously possible with more realistic models of what is found in vivo. Applications are in fundamental cell biology, studying diseases and developing new drugs. The outcomes from this research will be new knowledge on designing cheap extracellular matrix mimics and high throughout 3D cell assays.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101518
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,000.00
Summary
Cellular responses to nanoparticles from cells on micropatterned surfaces. The mechanisms underlying cell-nanoparticle interactions remain largely unknown. It has hampered the design and development of innovative nano devices to be used for drug delivery, biomarkers and diagnostics. This project aims to explore the influences of cell size, density, geometry, intercellular communication and substrate properties on cell-nanoparticle interactions. A micropatterning technology is applied to precisel ....Cellular responses to nanoparticles from cells on micropatterned surfaces. The mechanisms underlying cell-nanoparticle interactions remain largely unknown. It has hampered the design and development of innovative nano devices to be used for drug delivery, biomarkers and diagnostics. This project aims to explore the influences of cell size, density, geometry, intercellular communication and substrate properties on cell-nanoparticle interactions. A micropatterning technology is applied to precisely control cell behaviour and provide a novel in vitro cellular model for nanoparticle studies. This project aims to significantly improve the understanding of cell-nanoparticle interactions to provide new insight into nanoparticle design and improve the efficacy of nano devices.Read moreRead less
Polyion complex micelles as smart nano-sized drug carriers for proteins. Novel treatments against diseases are often based on proteins, which are unstable against hydrolysis and sometimes difficult to deliver across the cell membrane. The aim of the project is to create a smart drug carrier that can encapsulate proteins efficiently. A range of block copolymers will be synthesised that are able to condense a positively charged protein resulting in the formation of polyion complex micelles. The po ....Polyion complex micelles as smart nano-sized drug carriers for proteins. Novel treatments against diseases are often based on proteins, which are unstable against hydrolysis and sometimes difficult to deliver across the cell membrane. The aim of the project is to create a smart drug carrier that can encapsulate proteins efficiently. A range of block copolymers will be synthesised that are able to condense a positively charged protein resulting in the formation of polyion complex micelles. The polymer structure will be fine-tuned to create a drug carrier that releases the protein efficiently once inside mammalian cells. The outcome will be the enhanced understanding of the relationship between polymer structure and the activity of the protein and ultimately the design of an advanced and smart drug carrier.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL110100196
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,638,208.00
Summary
New dimensions in organic bionics. The advent of the next generation of medical bionic devices is critically dependent on advances in multifunctional organic materials that, like living systems, provide spatial and temporal control. These advances will provide a platform to revolutionise medical treatments such as nerve and muscle regeneration, with impact on neural prosthetics.
Biomimetic hydrogels. Hydrogels are promising materials to repair and regenerate damaged tissues, but their weak mechanical properties limit their applications. This project aims to develop hydrogels with better mechanical properties by mimicking the way natural tissues, such as cartilage, work. Specifically, we aim to develop a new class of hydrogels by adding molecular polymer brushes to traditional materials. We will design the hydrogels with long-term stability and render them suitable as vi ....Biomimetic hydrogels. Hydrogels are promising materials to repair and regenerate damaged tissues, but their weak mechanical properties limit their applications. This project aims to develop hydrogels with better mechanical properties by mimicking the way natural tissues, such as cartilage, work. Specifically, we aim to develop a new class of hydrogels by adding molecular polymer brushes to traditional materials. We will design the hydrogels with long-term stability and render them suitable as viable hosts for chondrocytes. Through this project, we will grow fundamental knowledge in polymer chemistry and tissue engineering, and pave the way for new technologies to repair damaged joints and tissues.Read moreRead less
Engineering Bioresponsive Hybrid Nanodevices using RNA, Peptides and Synthetic Polymers. This project aims to develop new microRNA polymer nanoassemblies with enhanced bioresponsive properties. Nanoengineered functional RNA-polymer materials can exploit both the recognition properties of RNA and the responsiveness of the polymer to tailor the structural and physicochemical properties of such systems. Further, targeting ligands (antibody, aptamers) tethered to the RNA-polymer nanoassembly could a ....Engineering Bioresponsive Hybrid Nanodevices using RNA, Peptides and Synthetic Polymers. This project aims to develop new microRNA polymer nanoassemblies with enhanced bioresponsive properties. Nanoengineered functional RNA-polymer materials can exploit both the recognition properties of RNA and the responsiveness of the polymer to tailor the structural and physicochemical properties of such systems. Further, targeting ligands (antibody, aptamers) tethered to the RNA-polymer nanoassembly could augment cellular uptake and delivery. The development of imaging and tracking methodology to accurately measure intracellular miRNA payload and localisation in a 3D tissue mimicking matrix is also planned.Read moreRead less