PCR Training
Author: Alyssandra Navarro | Major: Biomedical Engineering | Semester: Spring 2024
Over the course of the 2023-24 academic year, I have had the privilege of working under my faculty mentor Dr. Mostafa Elsaadany to develop 3D printed scaffolds made from a novel combination on biomaterials. My research is in the Biomedical Engineering department, and in the future I plan to go into a health-related career, whether it be medical school or research.
Scaffolds are a huge topic of interest in the field of regenerative tissue engineering. When implanted into the body, they work to bridge the gap between damaged tissues to regrow cells and ultimately heal injury. They are to be biocompatible as well as promote cell proliferation and growth. My research topic was discussed and decided pretty quickly at the beginning of the school year as I had already had previous research experience in scaffolds. The trickiest part was the choice of biomaterials and structure for these scaffolds, picking materials that will be strong but also flexible and compatible with cell regeneration. Because I wanted to work with craniofacial bone defects in particular, Dr. Elsaadany suggested I try 3D bioprinted scaffolds to combat the intricacy of these defects.
The production of the scaffolds were to be done in collaboration with the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. They would print the scaffolds and would send the samples over to me for testing, which includes cytotoxicity and material testing. Biomaterials we have selected are polycaprolactone (PCL) for increased mechanical strength, collagen for increased biocompatibility and crosslinker Genipin for optimized scaffold mechanical properties and cell proliferation and differentiation.
Our original plan was to combine PCL, collagen, and a crosslinker Genipin and then 3D print; however, we have faced multiple printing issues. 3D printing biomaterials is complicated because parameters such as pressure, temperature, and speed need to be optimized for each material. By thorough revision of printing parameters and literature reviews, we have decided to print PCL samples first, and then send over the samples to cover them with collagen-cell encapsulated and Genipin on top.
We are still deliberating over scaffold size, porosity, and shape. My models currently include a layered 20×20 mm mesh with a pore size ranging from 0.8-1.5 mm in diameter; however, revisions in shape and pore size may happen as printing testing continues.
This Honors College Research Grant has fostered my love for research this year exponentially. In the meantime, I have fully planned and prepared for all the testing procedures once the samples arrive. All protocols have been written and trained for. I have also been aiding other students in the lab with their projects and learning a lot of laboratory techniques. Even though my samples have shown some difficulties along the way, I have gained the most learning in skills that cannot be taught, skills in communication, experimental design, and how to think critically and outside the box. Development of my samples are wrapping up, so I hope to start testing over the summer and into next year. I am so excited to start and am prepared to face more challenges as they come!