Our colleague, Oliwia Jeznach, MSc, spent three months in the group of Prof. David Kaplan at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University in Boston in March 2020 and April-May 2021. She is a scholar of the Kosciuszko Foundation, which funds stays of Polish scientists at the US Universities to support academic cooperation between Poland and the US.
Oliwia collaborated with PhD Student Onur Hasturk and conducted surface modification of polycaprolactone fibers using aminolysis reaction and various types of silk immobilization, especially layer-by-layer technique and EDC/NHS coupling. The aim of this modification is to improve material-cell interaction for tissue engineering applications. Preliminary biological tests with mesenchymal stem cells were carried out at Tufts University. Further investigation of prepared materials, including biological tests with osteoblast cells, studying the amount of immobilized silk and the change of wettability is planned to be conducted by Oliwia in our laboratory.
