Physics Seminar : Elda Hegmann

Biocompatible Programmable Liquid Crystal Elastomer-based Inks for 3D Printing of Native Tissue

Abstract

Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Materials Science Graduate Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Biomedical Sciences Program, Kent State University, Kent, USA.

Biomaterials cover and are an integral part of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine fields. They are crucial to mimic endogenous tissue responses and help to eliminate high research costs and ethical concerns that come with 2D systems and animal models. Our research group focus on advanced manufacturing (AM) as a tool for the fabrication of cell scaffolds to find ideal biocompatible and biodegradable materials that fit the correct parameters for 3D printing and induce anisotropic cell behavior. Studying cells in 3D polymeric scaffolds has been advantageous strategy for growing cells in an environment that simulates the natural milieu and provides a realistic method for engineering tissues and in vitro experimentation. Our unique series of smectic (SmA) liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), as 3D foams and now as 3D printed constructs, have shown to present unique internal morphologies and are non-cytotoxic, making them suitable as longitudinal and multi-responsive cell scaffolds. We have demonstrated how our LCEs are ideal for cell attachment, cell proliferation, cell anisotropy and most importantly cell maturation. During our group’s scientific journey, we have also validated the importance of matching the mechanical properties, using cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), of these scaffolds to the cell lines of interest as an important key for tissue regeneration. I will present I will present three main examples of our work: 1) Study of material’s anisotropy during extrusion printing and how this anisotropy transfers to cells and affects cell behaviour, 2) how our LCE-based bio-ink allows the 3D duplication of a highly complex brain structure generated from an animal model. Vascular tissue models are generated from fluorescently stained mouse tissue spatially imaged using confocal microscopy and subsequently processed to create a digital 3D model suitable for printing; and 3) a co-culturing system wherein neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and oligodendrocyte (MO3.13) cell lines grow within both a caprolactone-based 3D elastomer and LCE scaffolding. We also demonstrated that LCE scaffolds promote maturation and differentiation of both cell lines alone, and in co-culturing fashion as they provide a suitable 3D in vitro environment to study myelination.

References:

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About the speaker

Elda Hegmann obtained her Ph.D. in 2003 at the Université Laval in Québec (Canada). After Postdoctoral research positions at Queen’s University, University of Manitoba and at the National Research Council Canada (NRC). She then started her independent carrier as a Research Officer at the NRC in 2008 before moving to the USA to join the Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University in 2011 as an Assistant Professor. She later joined the Department of Biological Sciences at KSU and the Materials Science Graduate Program in 2017. Dr. Hegmann’s research in biomaterials has produced several peer-reviewed articles and 4 patents. Dr Hegmann serves as the CEO on two start-up companies, TOREL LLC and Biostica LLC