Materials in Medicine

Applied Materials Science, Department of Engineering Sciences, Uppsala University

Contact: Prof. Håkan Engqvist
www.teknik.uu.se/mim

 
The Materials in Medicine (MiM) group consists of approximately 20 researchers with backgrounds in engineering physics, chemistry and molecular medicine. It is hosted within the Division for Applied Materials Science, and its main mission is to create and evaluate innovative and efficient materials for use in the body. A thorough evaluation of these materials is necessary, and much of it is done within the MSL facilities. This includes surface characterization through scanning and transmission electron microscopy, roughness measurements and nanoindentation. The newly installed cell laboratory is also extremely important to the group’s work in order to evaluate the safety of these materials before further preclinical testing. One project example is described below. More information and publication references can be found on the group’s website (see above).

Nanoscale Characterization of Biomaterial – Bone Interfaces

 
In collaboration with the Institute for Biomaterials and Cell Therapy, Gothenburg, this project seeks to stimulate future development within the field of regenerative medicine and characterization. The project focuses on characterization of biomaterials interfaces at the nanometer scale. In particular, focused ion beam (FIB) techniques are used to produce thin films of biomaterial-tissue interfaces for study by high-resolution and analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Materials currently under investigation include hydroxyapatite scaffolds, pedicle screws and dental implants.