Researchers bridge the gap between biology and material sciences at IFRM inaugural workshop
Regenerative science based on functional materials has the potential to revolutionize every aspect of society, from medical treatments and environmental remediation to energy storage and conversion devices.
On January 23rd, the Institute for Functional and Regenerative Materials (IFRM) held its inaugural workshop featuring speakers from across the state. The workshop also included a poster session for student researchers and a stakeholder meeting for principal investigators interested in pursuing research opportunities and grants in partnership with IFRM.
The workshop was part of IFRM’s mission to build collaboration across disciplines. The first installment highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between biological and material sciences to meet the world’s complex health challenges.
“I think we really need to develop more collaborative structures that link computational and biologic expertise,” said Luisa A. DiPietro, IFRM co-director, professor of periodontics and director of the UIC Center for Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration, who spoke about the challenges of developing effective therapeutic materials for chronic wounds. “Non-healing wounds result from multiple deficits, so it's very unlikely we're going to heal them by a single factor or single approach…novel and complex biomaterials are going to be needed to get a true home run in healing non-healing wounds.”
Talks at the workshop focused on new microscopy techniques and novel biomaterials that work with biological systems to improve tissue and organ function.
Kevin Boergens, a research assistant professor in UIC’s Department of Physics, presented on the development of a photoemission electron microscope (PEEM) that has the potential to increase biological imaging throughput while reducing costs. This approach could accelerate discoveries in neuroscience and expand nanoscale imaging in biology, including efforts to map the brains of mice and other animals.
“Photo emission electron microscopes are nothing new in material science, especially in the investigation of surface,” Boergens said. “So, we wondered, could it be used for this, too?”
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Other presentation topics ranged from liquid phase transmission electron microscopy to self-propelling particle systems designed to remove biofilms. Russell Pesavento of the UIC College of Dentistry discussed the potential of nanohybrid aggregates that mimic natural salivary proteins in the prevention of dental caries, while Ali Djalilian from the UIC College of Medicine described biomaterials for corneal repair and regeneration.
“We’re interested in using chemical innovation to improve oral health outcomes,” said Pesavento. “A variety of research goes into this across many different fields.”
“Regenerative biomaterials, in part derived from the corneal matrix, have the potential to expand our therapeutic options for patients,” said Djalilian.
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Presenters from across the state included:
- Qian Chen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Nathan Gianneschi, Northwestern University
- Joon Kong, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Georgie Papavasiliou, Illinois Tech
The workshop was led by IFRM Co-Directors Eben Alsberg, Robert Klie and Luisa A. DiPietro, with the support of Thomas Lipsmeyer.
The IFRM is one of four pilot institutes launched by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research in 2023, and consists of faculty from the colleges of engineering, liberal arts and sciences, dentistry, pharmacy and medicine. This multifaceted team is working to accelerate, advance and apply the discovery of materials with direct applications to improving our lives, environment and health.
Learn more about the institute’s upcoming events and opportunities on their website.