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Winter 2009 Seminar Series
Wednesday, March 11, at 3:30 p.m.
Room 264 MacQuigg Labs
Peter Ma
Professor
Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Nanovehicles for Biomolecule Delivery and Regeneration
Abstract
Regenerative medicine is an exciting field that aims at creating regenerative alternatives to harvested tissues for transplantation. Synthetic extracellular-matrices (scaffolds) play a pivotal role to provide three-dimensional environments for stem cells and templates for tissue regeneration. One strategy is for the scaffolds to mimic advantageous characteristics of the natural extracellular matrix, or developmental and wound healing programs. We design synthetic biomaterials and program the biological function by mimicking certain nanostructures of natural extracellular matrix and integrating certain designed structures to facilitate tissue regeneration. We also design novel polymers and self-assembled nanospheres for biomolecule delivery.
This lecture will present biomedical polymer synthesis, novel processing technologies, surface engineering and biologic delivery. Examples of enhanced cellular/tissue function and regenerative outcomes of these approaches will be discussed to demonstrate the excitement of the biomimetic approach to synthetic extracellular matrices for regenerative medicine.
Bio
Peter Ma received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Polymer Chemistry and Polymer Materials from Tsinghua University in Beijing. He received his Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from Rutgers University, and then took a post-doctoral position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. In 1996, he began his career at the University of Michigan. He is a tenured Professor with triple appointments in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences in the School of Dentistry, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering, and in the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Center, also in the College of Engineering.
Please join our speaker for light refreshments in 479 Watts Hall following the talk.
