This project aims to contribute to the development of a three-dimensional in vitro model of cardiac scar tissue to study the interactions between three cell types in heart tissue: cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, and cardiac neurons. Scar tissue usually exhibits a much higher stiffness than healthy tissue. To model a scar within the tissue, we will use gelatine methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels, which display gradients of stiffness. Crosslinking of the hydrogels will be performed using a light-initiated process, which enables the formation of gradients and patterns of stiffness. Composite hydrogels with the incorporation of supramolecular fibers into the GelMA will also be investigated.
To produce crucial proof of concept data for this scar model, materials will be synthesised and characterised. Specifically, measurements of elastic modulus in patterned GelMA will be performed with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), comparing results across spatial scales, and looking for evidence of viscoelasticity. The mechanical properties of the composite hydrogels will also be characterised through tensile testing.
This project is co-supervised between C&M (Anaïs Chalard and Jenny Malmstrom) and ABI (Andrew Taberner).
Undergraduate
Preparation and characterization of gels with stiffness patterns. Successful experiments will feed into existing work in the group.
None
No lab has been assigned to this project