Engineering solutions for biomaterials: self-assembly and surface-modification of polymers for clinical applications

2018-10-10Biomaterials are substances engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose. The study of biomaterials and biomimetic systems spans many fields including medicine, biology, chemistry, tissue engineering, and materials science, and they find a range of applications like optical diagnostics, imaging, and therapeutics. These applications rely heavily on self‐assembly, biocompatibility, and surface modification of polymers. During the course of this PhD, technical and scientific contributions were made to all three areas. Specifically, novel methods for modifying the surface of optical sensors to understand cell membrane behavior were developed, and biodegradable materials which permit the prolonged release of a therapeutic over an extended period of time were demonstrated. ❧ Over the course of my graduate study, this body of work has carried me through a variety of seemingly disparate experiments, from controlled environments outside of living organisms, or in vitro, to experimentation using whole living organisms, or in vivo. In whole however, it has yielded insight into different methods of performing experiments in both artificial environments as well as in cell cultures and animals, transitioning from fundamental basic science research to applied science. As such, these projects share a unifying goal of engineering solutions to clinical challenges such as the mechanisms of drug delivery and finding treatments for human disease and disorders such as cancer. ❧ In the first part of the dissertation, optical microresonators with lipid membrane coatings are designed to observe cell membrane behavior on a nanoscale, in vitro platform. The self‐assembly of a lipid bilayer from a solution of micelles is observed in real‐time on an optical platform, demonstrating its capacity to operate as a biosensor. Observing interactions on the nanoscale is best performed in parallel with studies in living systems, or in vivo. This is explored in the second part of the dissertation with animal studies, where the administration of a biomaterial, a hydrogel, was utilized to deliver protein therapeutics. This was complemented by a live imaging study, observing the trajectory of the implantable material in vivo using dye‐encapsulated hydrogels, demonstrating biocompatibility as well as its potential as a candidate in future clinical studies