The Hagerman Lab, Nanocomposite and Film Group

Engineering complex tissues by manipulation of component materials holds great promise in the advancement of tissue engineering and biomedical applications. One field where manipulation of cell and material interfaces is exceedingly important is in the analysis and interventions on bone disorders and bony injuries. Research in this field requires work in bone tissue engineering at the chondral interface. Osteointegration, the extent to which foreign materials are accepted by bone and chondral cells, forms an important aspect of bone growth and bone health, both in the natural state and in injuries. One part of the research in the Hagerman lab has involved the exploration of chitosan and Laponite™ nanocomposites as interfacial films to control the phenotype of cells. The understanding of properties relevant for the adhesion and morphology of different cell types to different nanomaterials is directly relevant to osteointegration and biomedical applications. Current results suggest that the chitosan component minimizes cell adhesion while the Laponite™ component improves homogeneity and film quality. However, we do not yet know the ideal ratios of the nanomaterials which will optimally impact film composite-cell interactions. As such, our next step is to vary the amounts of chitosan and Laponite™ in film composites based upon 25/75, 50/50, and 75/25 wt% respectively. These different material ratios will be used to evaluate cell interactions. Although the sudden passing of Dr. Hagerman has devastated us, his interests and research focus continues to inspire and motivate us in our pursuit of basic knowledge in chemistry, nanoscience, and biomedical engineering with application in the life sciences.