"Nano-BioTechnolgies"

Plenary Speaker: Jennifer L. West, Ph.D.
Isabel C. Cameron Professor and Director, Institute of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Rice University
1.00 PM - 1.45 PM, September 1, 2006

My research in biomaterials and tissue engineering focuses on the synthesis development and application of novel biofunctional materials and on the use of biomaterials and engineering approaches to study biological problems. Several of the projects ongoing in my laboratory are described below.

Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts: There is tremendous need for materials for small diameter vascular grafts. Synthetic materials have not proved suitable, and tissue transplantation is limited. Tissue engineering may provide an answer. My laboratory is approaching this problem from two directions; synthesis of novel scaffold materials that mimic extracellular matrix and genetic manipulation of the cells seeded into these scaffolds. The scaffold materials under development provide signals to promote cell adhesion, to control synthesis of matrix proteins, to regulate cell growth, and to allow degradation of the polymer as new tissue forms. The goals for genetic engineering of smooth muscle and endothelial cells are to reduce thrombosis and improve the mechanical properties of the engineered arteries.

Medical Applications of Metal Nanoshells: Nanoshells are a new type of nanoparticle with tunable optical properties. For medical applications, these particles can be designed to strongly absorb or scatter light in the near infrared where tissue and blood are relatively transparent. In a cancer therapy application, nanoshells are designed to absorb light and convert the energy to heat for tumor destruction. By conjugating antibodies or peptides to the nanoshell surfaces, binding of nanoshells can be targeted to cancerous cells, and subsequent exposure to near infrared light results in specific and localized destruction of the cancerous cells. A photothermally modulated drug delivery system, optically-controlled valves for microfluidics devices, and a rapid whole blood immunoassay are also under development using nanoshells.