Citation

BibTex format

@article{Li:2019:10.1002/adma.201900291,
author = {Li, C and Ouyang, L and Pence, I and Moore, A and Lin, Y and Winter, C and Armstrong, J and Stevens, M},
doi = {10.1002/adma.201900291},
journal = {Advanced Materials},
title = {Buoyancy-driven gradients for biomaterial fabrication and tissue engineering},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201900291},
volume = {31},
year = {2019}
}

RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB - The controlled fabrication of gradient materials is becoming increasingly important as the next generation of tissue engineering seeks to produce inhomogeneous constructs with physiological complexity. Current strategies for fabricating gradient materials can require highly specialized materials or equipment and cannot be generally applied to the wide range of systems used for tissue engineering. Here, the fundamental physical principle of buoyancy is exploited as a generalized approach for generating materials bearing welldefined compositional, mechanical, or biochemical gradients. Gradient formation is demonstrated across a range of different materials (e.g., polymers and hydrogels) and cargos (e.g., liposomes, nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles, macromolecules, and small molecules). As well as providing versatility, this buoyancydriven gradient approach also offers speed (<1 min) and simplicity (a single injection) using standard laboratory apparatus. Moreover, this technique is readily applied to a major target in complex tissue engineering: the osteochondral interface. A bone morphogenetic protein 2 gradient, presented across a gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel laden with human mesenchymal stem cells, is used to locally stimulate osteogenesis and mineralization in order to produce integrated osteochondral tissue constructs. The versatility and accessibility of this fabrication platform should ensure widespread applicability and provide opportunities to generate other gradient materials or interfacial tissues.
AU - Li,C
AU - Ouyang,L
AU - Pence,I
AU - Moore,A
AU - Lin,Y
AU - Winter,C
AU - Armstrong,J
AU - Stevens,M
DO - 10.1002/adma.201900291
PY - 2019///
SN - 0935-9648
TI - Buoyancy-driven gradients for biomaterial fabrication and tissue engineering
T2 - Advanced Materials
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201900291
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/67996
VL - 31
ER -

Join our network

If you would like to become a member of the network please contact us. 

Coordination and contact

Network Lead
Dr Michela Noseda

Network Lead
Dr Blerina Ahmetaj-Shala

Network Coordinator 
Zuzanna Jablonska

Network Coordinator 
Marine Secchi

General enquiries
ISRMNcontact@imperial.ac.uk