Engineering New Materials That 'Talk' to Cells

Tuesday, April 4, 2006 - 3:45 p.m. to Wednesday, April 5, 2006 - 4:55 p.m.

Engineering Innovations Breakfast Lecture Series III


Featuring:
Andrew Putnam, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
UC Irvine

Location: UCI University Club
Parking is available at the University Club


Please email engineerRSVP@uci.edu or call 949.824.3923 to attend.

Abstract:

Research in the field of biomaterials has experienced a renaissance in the past two decades. No longer are researchers focused on creating smooth titanium implants for hip repair or ceramic materials for dental implants.  Instead, research in this area seeks to design materials that interact with biological macromolecules, cells, and tissues in a specific fashion.

These new biomaterials are largely inspired by the native extracellular matrix (ECM), a complex 3-D network of polysaccharides and proteins that surrounds cells in the majority of tissues in the human body.  Once thought to provide only structural support to tissues, it is now widely recognized that both ECM chemistry and mechanics are critical determinants of cell behavior and tissue development.  We are currently focused on developing materials with tunable chemical and mechanical properties in an effort to mimic native ECM, effectively trying to engineer new materials that “talk” to cells.  The application of these materials in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine will be discussed, as will their potential utility in translating stem cell-based therapies from bench to bedside.

About the Speaker:

Andrew J. Putnam, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering and materials science, received his B.S. in chemical engineering from UCLA in 1994, and earned his M.S.E. and Ph.D. in the same field from the University of Michigan in 1996 and 2001, respectively.  As a student at Michigan, he was awarded pre-doctoral NIH-sponsored training grant fellowships in 1996 and 1999, and an Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society in 1998.

Professor Putnam joined UC Irvine in 2003, and is the principal investigator of the Laboratory of Cell Signaling in Engineered Tissues.  His research interests include the area of biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.  Specifically, his lab seeks to define a quantitative and predictive understanding of the informational cues received by cells from their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), and to subsequently apply this basic science knowledge to engineer novel biomaterials that serve as synthetic ECM analogs.

In addition to his research activities, Professor Putnam was honored with the Fariborz Maseeh Best Faculty Teacher Award in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering in 2005.