Our research

A central pillar of our research programme is the use, and development, of novel biomaterials. Design and fabrication of natural polymer (e.g. collagen) scaffolds, which can then be augmented with other synthetic or biological components (depending on application), have proven to have excellent potential in regenerative medicine.

Hydrogels are another central type of biomaterial for our work. Extremely versatile and adaptable in their own right, applying these materials in the growing field of 3D printing has expanded their utility even further.

Using natural polymer (e.g. collagen) scaffolds that mimic native extracellular matrix, we have developed systems to direct bone and cartilage regeneration both in vitro and in vivo.

Multi-layered scaffolds have also been developed and assessed for their capacity to heal osteochondral defects.

Elastin has been incorporated into our collagen-based scaffolds (which exhibit high tensile properties) to develop small diameter vascular grafts with compliance similar to native vessels, which are currently being optimised to promote tissue formation in vitro and facilitate healing in vivo.

In collaboration with Dublin Institute of Technology, we are utilising novel engineering methods to create fibrin-infused collagen-based scaffolds to create 3D heart valve-shaped scaffolds.

In collaboration with the RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences and NUIM's Department of Biology, we are designing growth factor-enhanced coll-GAG scaffolds for applications in respiratory drug development, disease modelling and airway regeneration.

In collaboration with our partners at AMBER, as well as our progressive collaboration with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), we are developing solutions for improved repair of spinal cord injuries.

In collaboration with our industry partners, as well as other charitable partners, we are developing novel ways to enhance wound healing as well as improve other skin pathologies.

In collaboration with our partners at the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology at Dublin City University, we are developing collagen-based carriers for corneal limbal stem cell transplantation.

In collaboration with our partners in the RCSI School and Faculty of Dentistry, the Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH) at TCD and AMBER, we are developing a portfolio of solutions in the dental space to enhance treatment of dental caries and more complex oral surgery.

Our scaffolds are also being developed as targeted drug delivery platforms through the incorporation of drugs, proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids, thereby accelerating the healing capacity of these constructs.

Furthermore, we are pursuing the development of novel non-viral delivery vectors such as nano-hydroxyapatite, chitosan and PEI that can be used independently or in conjunction with the collagen-based scaffolds to enhance gene or nucleic acid delivery to cells.

Biomaterials can also be used to generate a reliable test-bed or model system of specific disease states.

For example, the dynamic interaction between bacteria and bone cells can be recapitulated using collagen scaffolds to create a simplified in-vitro model system of bone infection.

The incorporation of calcium phosphates into collagen-based scaffolds can also be used to gain insight into the behaviour of cancerous cells (breast/prostate/neuroblastoma) in pseudo un-mineralised and mineralised environments.