Yasmín Camacho Rodríguez
PhD Student
Profile
Project Title: Analysis of the bioadhesive properties of insect and plant biomaterial for development a novel tissue glue
Summary: Within the field of medicine and dentistry, there is high demand for adhesives, either as tissue glues or minimally invasive methods that cannot be combined with traditional surgical techniques. A promising branch of research has diverged into the field of naturally occurring bioadhesion in nature. In this project, I will take a comparative approach investigating the adhesive properties of biomaterial produced by the plant Agave angustifolia and the insect Drosophila melanogaster. D. melanogaster larvae, use glue to adhere to the surface before developing a pupal case. The glue can stick to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces with an adhesion strength of 137-244 kPa. The glue genes are well known, however, their role in glue production, adhesion and hardening is not known. A. angustifolia which is used in Mexican folk medicine produces among other metabolites a complex mixture of carbohydrates called agavins. These have been used in gel formulations due to their properties.
The aim of the project is to analyze the adhesive properties of plant and insect material to develop a novel, non-toxic, biodegradable tissue glue for surgical treatment. I will characterize the physicochemical and morphological properties of the biomaterials by Fourier-Transform Infra-Red-Spectroscopy, NMR, ESEM, fluid transport tests, HPLC, and rheology. I will assess the cytotoxicity of the biomaterial by in vitro cell culture experiments and its ability to support cell attachment and proliferation via direct incubation of the whole biomaterial with human cell lines.
Supervisor: