Researcher(s)
- Yashu Ren, Chemistry, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Ariel Alperstein, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware
Abstract
Bioactive glass is a material of great interest to the medical and dental community due to its promising ability to regenerate bone tissue. Understanding how proteins interact with bioactive glass is essential for engineering better materials and clinical application of related innovations. However, the molecular-level structural changes of proteins on bioactive glass interfaces remain poorly understood. Motivated by this knowledge gap, this study aims to understand the protein interactions with bioactive glass. We began by synthesizing a silicate-based bioactive glass 58S using the sol-gel method. The reaction condition was optimized by varying stir time, heating rate, and reagent concentration. The material was then characterized using various instrumentation such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Attenuated Total Reflectance/Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR), Particle Analyzer, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). We are currently working towards varying surface roughness of bioactive glass. In the future, we will combine these bioactive glass particles with proteins and study their impacts on protein secondary structures. Understanding these interactions will help develop new biomaterials to improve bone growth for orthopedic and dental applications.