Polymer Chemistry Lab
2318A Wean Hall
(500 sq. ft. facility)
 Map to this lab

Polymer Microsphere Preparation. Drugs and other growth factors have been incorporated into biodegradable polymeric microspheres for many years.

In the Polymer Laboratory, we are using a single oil/water emulsion technique to encapsulate vascular reagents,a double water/oil/water emulsion technique to encapsulate growth factors, and a coacervation technique to encapsulate anti-tumor drugs into microspheres.

Polymer Scaffold Fabrication.   
There are numerous protocols used to prepare porous polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

In the Polymer Laboratory, two techniques that are routinely used are solvent-casting/ particulate-leaching and temperature-induced-phase-separation/freeze-drying. Polymer scaffolds with varying porosities, pore sizes and degradation rates are obtained. Both synthetic and native polymeric scaffolds are fabricated.

We are also implementing novel "block-building" techniques to incorporate the multi drug-containing microspheres into tissue-engineered scaffolds.

Polymer Surface modification. Biodegradable polymer films and porous polymer scaffolds are chemically modified to graft cell-affinity molecules onto the surfaces. The modified surfaces enhance osteoprogenitor cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation.

Services and Staff. There are two PhD polymer chemists conducting research in the Polymer Laboratory with over 20 years of combined experience in polymer synthesis, characterization, and analysis.