New Biomimetic Nanostructured Coatings for Hip Implants. Over 30,000 hip implants operations take place in Australia each year, due largely to a significant and growing proportion of the population suffering from conditions such as osteoporosis. The coating on the implants, required to cause good bone ingrowth and adhesion between bone and implant, is far from perfect. We propose to spray coatings which mimic the structure of bone, and thus offer improved mechanical properties such as appropriat ....New Biomimetic Nanostructured Coatings for Hip Implants. Over 30,000 hip implants operations take place in Australia each year, due largely to a significant and growing proportion of the population suffering from conditions such as osteoporosis. The coating on the implants, required to cause good bone ingrowth and adhesion between bone and implant, is far from perfect. We propose to spray coatings which mimic the structure of bone, and thus offer improved mechanical properties such as appropriate rigidity and toughness, and stimulate better bone growth at the interface. In this way the implant should be much longer lasting and the need for undesirable revision surgery reduced. The processing technique proposed could also be a useful platform coating technology in a number of other industries.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
Novel manufacturing methods for tissue engineering scaffolds. Novel methods of manufacturing biodegradable polymer scaffolds around which new tissue can be grown within the human body will be developed. Surfactant - polymer assemblies will be used to produce highly porous scaffolds of tunable pore size and connectivity, shape and strength. The results will create a new avenue for systematic investigations into the effects of scaffold structure on tissue growth. This research will lead to the dev ....Novel manufacturing methods for tissue engineering scaffolds. Novel methods of manufacturing biodegradable polymer scaffolds around which new tissue can be grown within the human body will be developed. Surfactant - polymer assemblies will be used to produce highly porous scaffolds of tunable pore size and connectivity, shape and strength. The results will create a new avenue for systematic investigations into the effects of scaffold structure on tissue growth. This research will lead to the development of reliable, well-controlled manufacturing techniques for tissue engineering scaffolds, revolutionising current scaffold manufacturing practices. It will enhance existing collaborations between the University of Melbourne and the Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery.Read moreRead less