One aspect of my research is the generation of magnetically-responsive biomolecules. In particular, I seek to create field-responsive systems that can guide tissue engineering processes. This includes:
Magnetic Patterning of Morphogen Gradients
This study was led by Dr Chunching Li during his PhD at Imperial College London. We developed a new method for magnetically patterning osteogenic growth factors in cellularized hydrogels, which could guide the engineering of osteochondral tissue (link: Biomaterials 2018). This is linked to my research activity in tissue engineering.
Ultra-fast Cell Magnetization
This study was performed in collaboration with Dr Sara Carreira during her PhD at the University of Bristol. We showed that chemical cationization of magnetoferritin could be used to rapidly magnetize cells for magnetic resonance imaging (link: Nanoscale 2016, JoVE 2016). This is linked to my research activity in biomolecular conjugation.
Magnetization of DNA and Proteins
This study was led by Dr Paul Brown during his PhD at the University of Bristol. We conjugated magnetic surfactants to DNA and proteins to create magnetically-susceptible biomolecules (link: Advanced Materials 2013). This is linked to my research activity in biomolecular conjugation.
If you are interested in these topics, you can find more information in these recent reviews, which have further details regarding the use of magnetic manipulation for tissue engineering (Trends in Biotechnology 2020) and biomaterial fabrication (Advanced Functional Materials 2020).