Name: Fazilet GÜRER
ESR no.: 15
Description of the IRP:
Polysaccharides and other polymer-based scaffolds are promising materials for complex tissue engineering substrates. Polysaccharides in the form of hyaluronic acid and sulphated glucosaminoglycans can be found in large “bottle-brush-like” proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix of mammals where they are involved in the communication between cells and the growth and remodelling of tissues. Mimicking this type of biological material by derivatization of polysaccharides with short chain peptides and exploiting it in regenerative medicine is a target of this IRP. This project covers the preparation, tailored surface modification and testing of these materials using human chondrocytes, macrophages and fibroblasts. Micro- and nanostructured cellulose/polysaccharide materials will be shaped into two- and three-dimensional objects by electrospinning (polymer solutions), advanced 3D printing (hydrogels or thermoplastic polymers) or freeze drying (aerogels) of polymer gels. The aim is to positively influence and control the growth, viability and migration of human cells (macrophages, endothelial cells, chondrocytes etc.) and the subsequent formation of tissue from these cells. The project also aims at developing methods for the immobilization of cell receptor molecules (antibodies, growth factors, proteins/peptides) in a structured and confined way on the scaffolds in order to direct and manipulate the growth of tissue. Especially the analysis and testing of mechanical properties in the wet state will be performed since cells usually respond to the input of mechanical energy similar to their natural environment with growth and remodelling.
Keywords:
- Polysaccharides, tissue engineering, adhesion peptides, 3d printing
About the ESR:
I carried out my BSc. education at the Department of Bioengineering at Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, Turkey. After graduation, I was admitted to the Ege University, Institute of Health Science for a post graduate study leading to a master’s degree. I was a member of department of Pharmaceutical Botany, the studies from the department focused on extraction of plant material, fractionation and isolation secondary metabolites. I contributed to a project in Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Institute for Thermal Separation Science, contains research and development of hybrid alginate-based aerogels with a prospect to the drug delivery and biomedical applications. After my master’s degree I took a part in 2 different projects which are supported by TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Council of Turkey). I gained experienced about chemical synthesis, purification and characterization of small molecules, RAFT polymerization synthesis of homo- and copolymers and star polymers also a wide variety of technics and instruments including gel permeation chromatography, silica gel column chromatography, thin layer chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Contact information:
- Fazilet Gürer
- Laboratory for characterization and processing of polymers, Faculty of Mechanical engineering, University of Maribor
- Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor
- fazilet.guerer@um.si