Understanding,
predicting, and controlling the interactions of living and nonliving
materials can overcome barriers to next-generation micromechanical and
medical manufacturing while improving sanitation in food, air, and water
processing
The Center's cooperating laboratories contain state-of-the-art equipment,
uniquely applied to biological systems. The Memphis Site comprises the
following resources:
The purpose of the Industry/University Center for Biosurfaces (IUCB)
is to accomplish the following:
To understand the interactions of all that is alive with all that
is not
Through such understanding, to predict how living cells interact with
synthetic materials, and with other cells
To control the speed and strength of biological surface interactions
for the benefit of personal, public, and environmental health
Current
Goals of the Center
To
extend Center-standardized reference materials and experimental models
of biomaterial and particle/tissue interactions for improved environmental
health
To apply useful, regulation-free "active" surface strategies capable
of removing biofilms for improved sanitation, cleaning, and infection-control
To develop new, relevant experimental models for evaluation of lubricity,
friction, and wear in biological environments
To identify new sterilization technologies for synthetic/prosthetic
materials that will improve in vivo wear resistance and biocompatibility
Research
Program
The Center for Biosurfaces conducts basic and applied research to control
interactions of biomaterials and particles with living cell surfaces in
medical, dental, and natural environments. The fields of bioengineering
and biotechnology, occupational safety, and public health are addressed
as toxic or infectious aerosols are detected, collected, and analyzed.
The Center's research has led to several commercial nontoxic easy-release
environmental coatings and safer medical products. Current Center projects
include producing relevant environmental simulations of flowing biofluids
(blood, tears, saliva, others) at and near contact surfaces, and documenting
fundamental force, structure, and flow features capable of modulating
cell attachment/retention at solid/liquid, gas/liquid, and solid/gas interfaces.
Special
Center Benefits
The Center's industrial sponsors receive priority attention for applied
research needs. The Center has recently completed industrial projects
in areas including:
Surface characterization of metals, ceramics, and plastics
Surface modification of polymers
Evaluation of implant biocompatibility
Prevention of mineral scale
Development of advanced cleaning processes
Certification of new sterilization processes
Control of biofouling
Members
receive:
Enhanced
access to University faculty, students and resources
