Bio-based biodegradable scaffolds for tissue engineering applications : effect of fabrication method and cross-linker concentration on scaffold properties

• Main Author: Xue, Bin.
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Biomaterials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45474
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

With increasing demand of engineered tissues, natural polymers are promising alternative to conventional synthetic scaffolding materials in terms of biocompatibility and overall interactions with cells. An example of a natural polymer is ovalbumin (OVA), which has yet to be intensively researched to evaluate its potential for tissue engineering applications. In this project, the effect of fabrication method and cross-linker concentration on ovalbumin scaffold properties was investigated. Glutaraldehyde (GA) was used to cross-link OVA; and two fabrication techniques, salt-leaching and freeze-drying, were used to fabricate OVA scaffolds. In addition, purification of OVA from chicken egg white was performed to investigate the feasibility of separating OVA from a simple ultrafiltration scheme.