Associate Professor Jenny Malmström, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland

Engineered biointerfaces - for applications from biology to magnonics

In our research group, we use materials engineering to understand biology better, and to create advanced materials. This seminar will cover topics from self-assembly to pattern polyoxometalates (POMs) at surfaces to how we engineer hydrogels to better understand how mammalian cells sense their surroundings. While these topics appear disparate, they are linked by the materials engineering approaches used.

Mammalian cells sense and adapt to forces and physical constraints imposed by the surrounding extra cellular matrix. Such mechanotransduction plays a crucial role in cell function, differentiation, and cancer. Our hydrogel research stems from a need for better experimental systems to understand these intricate phenomena. For example, we have developed a projection method to pattern the elastic modulus of GelMA hydrogels, and we have developed viscoelastic gels where the mechanical properties of polyacrylamide gels are tailored by polymerizing a second network within the polyacrylamide gel.  We have also developed conductive hydrogels, that provide tools for both electrical and mechanical stimulation of cells. Our data also demonstrate that conductive hydrogels can be used to encapsulate and release drugs with excellent control.

I will also show how we have created nanoscale patterns of magnetic POMs at interfaces, with an aim to create self-assembled magnonic crystals. We have seen intriguing effects when thin films of weakly antiferromagnetic POMs are arrayed on a ferromagnetic material.