Nanofiber Scaffolds

Location: MM 330

Nanofiber Scaffolds

Nanostructures have remarkable properties because of their dimensions. Three-dimensional nanostructures demonstrate further enhancement of the inherent properties of the nanostructures. Nanofibers have emerged as a very versatile technique for nanostructures with a long range of order. Tuning the properties such as thickness and increasing mass transfer between layers has practical benefits in several applications. Challenge has been in developing biocompatible, self-assembled, continuous, uniform nanofibers having patterns with high aspect ratio. Our efforts are directed at using synthetic polymers with electroactive properties for scaffold applications that are stable across a wide range of temperatures and do not require any special storage conditions or post-processing (biocompatibility, cytotoxicity and porosity). 

Another important application of nanofiber scaffolds is in 3D tissue engineering. The scaffolds provide mechanical structures that mimic the fibrillar structures of extracellular matrices of tissues and organs. The ability to tune the nanofibers further adds to their versatility as scaffolds for 3D tissue culture. 

Image and Video Library for Nanofiber Scaffolds

Related literary works

• "Mechanical Properties and Morphological Alterations in Fiber-Based Scaffolds Affecting Tissue Engineering Outcomes," James Dolgin, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Stephen Farias, Carl G. Simon. Jr., Smitha Rao, Fibers 2023, 11, 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib11050039. 

• "Quantitative Analysis of the Impact of Disorder on the Structural and Electrical Properties of Polymer Fibers," Robert Makin, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Smitha Rao and Steve Durbin, MRS Advances, November 2022,  https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-022-00368-2

• "Model derivation for synthesis of controlled 3D structures via electrospinning," Garek Dyszel, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Durdu Guney, Smitha Rao, National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2021, April 12, 2021, Virtual presentation. 

• "Engineered three-dimensional scaffolds modulating fate of breast cancer cells using stiffness and morphology related cell adhesion," Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Carolynn Que, Brennan Vogl, Smitha Rao, in IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology, vol. 1, pp. 41-48, 2020, doi: 10.1109/OJEMB.2020.2965084. Listed among "Most impactful papers".

• "Osteoconductive Electrospun PCL-TCP nanofibers," Emily Nelson, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Smitha Rao, NCUR 2020, Mar 26-28, Montana State University, Montana, USA. Oral presentation 

• "Electrospun acellular scaffolds for mimicking the natural anisotropy of the extracellular matrix" Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Nastaran Alinezhadbalalami, Srinivas Kannan, Meghan Friske and Smitha Rao, RSC Advances, 9, 40190-40195, 2019. DOI: 10.1039/C9RA07777D

• “Multi-functional electrospun nanofibers from polymer blends for scaffold tissue engineering,” Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Smitha Rao, Special issue Fibers: Electrospun Fibers for Scaffold and Electrical Sensing (Review Article), Vol. 7, Iss. 7, 66, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib7070066

• “Self-Assembly of 3D Nanostructures in Electrospun Polycaprolactone-Polyaniline Fibers and their Application as Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering,” Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Carolynn Que, Smitha Rao, Materialia, Vol. 6, 100296, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtla.2019.100296. 

• “Design and Fabrication of Customized Wound Healing Patches for Tissues,” Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Carolynn Que, Emily Nelson, Smitha Rao, Sixth Annual Meeting of Michigan Physiological Society, June 27-28, Mount Pleasant, MI, 2019. Oral presentation

• “Piezoelectric Scaffolds Containing Tricalcium Phosphate for Bone Tissue Engineering” Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Carolynn Que, Emily Nelson, Smitha Rao, Sixth Annual Meeting of Michigan Physiological Society, June 27-28, Mount Pleasant, MI, 2019. Poster presentation

• “Nanotopographical cues for fabrication of efficient wound healing patches using electrospinning,” Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Carolynn Que, Smitha Rao, 50th ACS Central Regional Meeting (CERM), June 4-8, Midland, MI, 2019. Oral presentation 

• “Piezoelectric scaffolds containing Tricalcium phosphate for bone tissue engineering,” Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Carolynn Que, Emily Nelson, Smitha Rao, 50th ACS Central Regional Meeting (CERM), June 4-8, Midland, MI, 2019. Poster presentation 

• “Fabrication of honeycomb structured scaffolds using electrospinning for use as wound healing patches ,” Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Carolynn Que, Smitha Rao, ACS Upper Peninsula Local Section Student Research Symposium, March 23, 2019. Poster presentation 

• “Characterization of Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffold for Wound Healing Applications,” Meghan Friske, Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Smitha Rao, 2017 Annual Meeting of BMES, Phoenix, Arizona, October 11-14 2017. (Poster with extended abstract) 

• “Electrospun Conductive PANI/PVDF Blends for Scaffold Engineering,” Samerender Nagam Hanumantharao, Nastaran Alinezhad, Srinivas Kannan, Smitha Rao, Annual Meeting of BMES 2016, Minneapolis, MN, October 5-8, 2016. (Poster with extended abstract)