5/21/11

PhD Studentship - Charge‐patterned surfaces for protein adsorption


Research Supervisors: Brian Rodriguez & Gareth Redmond (UCD)

Collaborators:
Katia Gallo, KTH‐Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Madhu Bhaskaran & Sharath Sriram, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia

Scientific
Cellular  interactions  with  mechanically  nanostructured  and  chemically  functionalized  surfaces,
and  substrates  with  stiffness  gradients  have  been  well‐studied  for  understanding  cellular mechanotransduction;  however,  these  approaches  generally  neglect  electrostatics  and electromechanical  coupling,  which  are  always  present  in  biological  systems.  The  ultimate objective  of  this  project  is  to  use  charge‐functionalized  and  mechanosensitive  surfaces  to address  and  understand  the  role  of  charge  and  electromechanically‐active  substrates  on surface‐bound

Project
We  will  use  substrates  with  locally  reversible  surface  charge  (i.e.,  organic  and  inorganic ferroelectric  materials  with  reversible  polarization),  which  can  be  charge‐patterned  from  the length

The  charge  will  be  exploited  for  charge‐patterning‐directed  self‐assembly,  adsorption  of proteins  and  molecules,  and  local  reactivity.  Local  charge  conditions  can  be  further  modified using  thermal  or  optical  excitation,  thus  allowing  both  static  and  dynamic  effects  of  the patterning  on  protein  adsorption  and  chemical  reactivity  to  be  determined.  The  cellular response  to  charge  and  protein‐patterned  surfaces  will  also  be  investigated,  broadening  our understanding  of  mechano‐  and  electrotransduction.  This  research  is  expected  to  have  a significant impact on biomimetic design of engineered tissues and implants.

Funding
4 year PhD position (PRTLI5) & Graduate Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Applications
EU‐applicants related for  the  project,  along  with  the  contact  details  of  two  referees  to  brian.rodriguez@ucd.ie  with the a suitable applicant is found.

PRTLI5_PG_BR2011b.pdf

More information:http://www.nanofunction.org/brian‐rodriguez/

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