Generation of peptidomimetic surfaces for biomaterials applications. Biomedical implants are increasingly being used for the treatment of a variety of ailments. This project will significantly contribute to the development of these bioengineered constructs, by introducing an innovative method for tailoring the nature of the surface of these materials with structures that mimic the response of biological surfaces. This technology has the potential to promote favourable interactions of cells with ....Generation of peptidomimetic surfaces for biomaterials applications. Biomedical implants are increasingly being used for the treatment of a variety of ailments. This project will significantly contribute to the development of these bioengineered constructs, by introducing an innovative method for tailoring the nature of the surface of these materials with structures that mimic the response of biological surfaces. This technology has the potential to promote favourable interactions of cells with biomedical implants, and an initial targeted application will be to use these bioengineered constructs in the treatment of preventable blindness and severe visual impairment, afflictions which affect over 180 million individuals worldwide.Read moreRead less
Engineering Articular Cartilage with Zonal Structure and Function. This project addresses the National Research Priority of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and specifically the Priority Goal of Ageing well, ageing productively. Osteoarthritis, the most common cartilage-related disease, affects nearly 1.4 million Australians, resulting in 2 in 1000 Australians undergoing total joint replacement, annually. The incidence and impact of cartilage damage on the Australian health and economy is e ....Engineering Articular Cartilage with Zonal Structure and Function. This project addresses the National Research Priority of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and specifically the Priority Goal of Ageing well, ageing productively. Osteoarthritis, the most common cartilage-related disease, affects nearly 1.4 million Australians, resulting in 2 in 1000 Australians undergoing total joint replacement, annually. The incidence and impact of cartilage damage on the Australian health and economy is expected to increase with the ageing population. This work leads to the development of a novel cartilage engineering technology platform that addresses Frontier Technologies and will thus provide the foundation for translation of this technology to the international marketplace. Read moreRead less
Mimicking the perivascular niche with boronolectin-based biomaterials. This project aims to address roadblocks in perivascular stem cell manufacturing by discovering novel mechanisms and materials that improve cell quality outcomes during extended culture. An innovative, interdisciplinary approach to biomaterials discovery, combining live cell-based screening of cell surface glycans, bio-inspired materials design and synthesis, and niche mimicry, will enable the discovery of cell surface glycan- ....Mimicking the perivascular niche with boronolectin-based biomaterials. This project aims to address roadblocks in perivascular stem cell manufacturing by discovering novel mechanisms and materials that improve cell quality outcomes during extended culture. An innovative, interdisciplinary approach to biomaterials discovery, combining live cell-based screening of cell surface glycans, bio-inspired materials design and synthesis, and niche mimicry, will enable the discovery of cell surface glycan-mediated interactions that support long-term expansion and potency maintenance, and synthetic biomaterials that can mimic them. Significant benefits for stem cell researchers, manufacturers and end users are expected from the project and the application of this scalable biomaterial platform.Read moreRead less
Molecularly engineered cell-instructive hydrogels for enhanced tissue regeneration. The outcomes of this project will be relevant to range of wounds, including burns, bed-sores, and diabetic and venous ulcers. Clearly, innovation in wound healing is urgently required as the treatment of wounds represents a significant challenge at all levels of our society, in terms of cost (physical, emotional and financial) to patients, the economy and to the wider community. Despite this obvious and overwhelm ....Molecularly engineered cell-instructive hydrogels for enhanced tissue regeneration. The outcomes of this project will be relevant to range of wounds, including burns, bed-sores, and diabetic and venous ulcers. Clearly, innovation in wound healing is urgently required as the treatment of wounds represents a significant challenge at all levels of our society, in terms of cost (physical, emotional and financial) to patients, the economy and to the wider community. Despite this obvious and overwhelming need, research in wound healing is relatively under-developed and has yet to adopt modern biotechnology and biomaterials approaches. This project is therefore directed at generating cost-effective frontier wound dressing technologies that accelerate wound repair.Read moreRead less
Tissue Engineering the Meniscus: Combining Novel Biomimetic Hybrid Scaffolds with Adult Stem Cells. Development of a meniscal implant ex vivo will provide significant health and economic benefits, given that worldwide, millions of people annually suffer from meniscus damage or loss. We believe that a tissue engineered meniscus, composed of a novel biomimetic scaffold which guides the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in a novel bioreactor will provide a solution to the problem of donor ....Tissue Engineering the Meniscus: Combining Novel Biomimetic Hybrid Scaffolds with Adult Stem Cells. Development of a meniscal implant ex vivo will provide significant health and economic benefits, given that worldwide, millions of people annually suffer from meniscus damage or loss. We believe that a tissue engineered meniscus, composed of a novel biomimetic scaffold which guides the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in a novel bioreactor will provide a solution to the problem of donor scarcity in meniscal repair. Success in this project will lead directly to large-animal studies and clinical trials. The training of four early careeer researchers involved in this project will also be of significant benefit to the Australian Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials community.Read moreRead less
Composite biomaterials for modulation of dermal fibroblast function. The successful outcome of this research will revolutionize the way scars are treated for the large number of people who suffer burns and even minor trauma that leads to disfigurement. By using advanced chemical synthesis, biochemical analysis, cell biology and polymer materials science, an intelligent gel sheet will be devised that is able to control the formation of scar tissue and also reduce the effect of existing scars. Thi ....Composite biomaterials for modulation of dermal fibroblast function. The successful outcome of this research will revolutionize the way scars are treated for the large number of people who suffer burns and even minor trauma that leads to disfigurement. By using advanced chemical synthesis, biochemical analysis, cell biology and polymer materials science, an intelligent gel sheet will be devised that is able to control the formation of scar tissue and also reduce the effect of existing scars. This will produce improved quality of life for sufferers of severe scarring and have major economic benefits in reduced health costs. Read moreRead less
Mastering the Microenvironment - Integrated, functional, biosynthetic scaffolds for tissue engineering. Organ transplantation is available to only the lucky few, with, for example, less than 3000 of Australia's annual 30,000 patients suffering end-stage renal failure receiving transplants. Tissue engineering of soft, functional tissues using in vitro and/or in vivo methods offers the potential to replace missing or non-functioning tissues, such as liver, pancreas, lung, heart, fat and muscle, wi ....Mastering the Microenvironment - Integrated, functional, biosynthetic scaffolds for tissue engineering. Organ transplantation is available to only the lucky few, with, for example, less than 3000 of Australia's annual 30,000 patients suffering end-stage renal failure receiving transplants. Tissue engineering of soft, functional tissues using in vitro and/or in vivo methods offers the potential to replace missing or non-functioning tissues, such as liver, pancreas, lung, heart, fat and muscle, with newly created tissue. This project will deliver integrated, functional polymeric scaffolds for organ replacement. Over 12 higher degree candidates and one research associate will be trained in the field of tissue engineering, representing a significant benefit to the Australian scientific community.Read moreRead less
Controlling the adhesome to regulate cell fate on biomaterials. Mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering practices are hampered worldwide by the lack of appreciation and understanding of the matrix-mediated cues that must be provided during adhesion and spreading to drive cells to definitive tissue end points. This project will address these knowledge deficiencies by combining high throughput array technologies, a set of tailorable self-assembling biomaterials and real-time biosensors to r ....Controlling the adhesome to regulate cell fate on biomaterials. Mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering practices are hampered worldwide by the lack of appreciation and understanding of the matrix-mediated cues that must be provided during adhesion and spreading to drive cells to definitive tissue end points. This project will address these knowledge deficiencies by combining high throughput array technologies, a set of tailorable self-assembling biomaterials and real-time biosensors to rapidly, at high resolution, elucidate how mechanotransductive cues determine the fate choice of mesenchymal stem cells, and furthermore, how to manipulate them with smart biomaterial design to achieve desired outcomes for tissue engineering. Read moreRead less
Soft materials containing hierarchy via 3D sacrificial micro-moulding. The project seeks to develop sophisticated new polymeric materials and devices not possible using current manufacturing techniques. Biomaterials based on hydrogels are ideal substrates for synthetic extra-cellular matrices due to their high water content. However, one of the challenges hindering the use of hydrogels is reproducing the transport properties found in natural tissue with hierarchical features such as vascularisat ....Soft materials containing hierarchy via 3D sacrificial micro-moulding. The project seeks to develop sophisticated new polymeric materials and devices not possible using current manufacturing techniques. Biomaterials based on hydrogels are ideal substrates for synthetic extra-cellular matrices due to their high water content. However, one of the challenges hindering the use of hydrogels is reproducing the transport properties found in natural tissue with hierarchical features such as vascularisation. To address this, the project plans to develop a 3D moulding process for generating soft materials containing precise channels decorated with defined molecules. Intended outcomes include a fundamental understanding of the 3D moulding process, and new polymers and advanced tools for bioengineers for future applications such as tissue transplants, cell guides for treating spinal cord injuries, soft robotics and microfluidic devices to study cancer metastasis. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100986
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
An innovative platform using non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) to control stem cell differentiation outcomes. It is difficult to control the tissue type that stem cells will form when combined with biomaterials, as the outcome is influenced by the 'stiffness' of the surface to which the stem cells attach. This project will determine how non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) control stem cell behaviours and use this information to direct stem cell differentiation outcomes.