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The Extraction, Characterisation and Application of Novel Collagen-Based Bio-Materials Derived from Rhizostomas pulmo For Tissue Engineering Applications / Jonathan Widdowson

Swansea University Author: Jonathan Widdowson

DOI (Published version): 10.23889/Suthesis.52446

Abstract

Collagen is the most abundant protein in animals, and as such provides the optimal polymer for use in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. The electrospinning of collagen presents a simple, scalable method for the production of biocompatible scaffolds, however recent findings h...

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Published: Swansea 2018
Institution: Swansea University
Degree level: Doctoral
Degree name: Ph.D
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52446
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Abstract: Collagen is the most abundant protein in animals, and as such provides the optimal polymer for use in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. The electrospinning of collagen presents a simple, scalable method for the production of biocompatible scaffolds, however recent findings have shown that collagen is irreversibly denatured into gelatin when electrospun using fluorinated alcohols. The work contained within this thesis describes the production of an industrially relevant, scalable process for the extraction of acid soluble collagen. The characterisation of this collagen is carried out, and the optimisation for use in bio-printing is assessed.This thesis introduces a novel, collagen derived biomaterial, termed Single Alpha-Chain Collagen, and the methods for its production are discussed within. Both Acid Soluble and Single Alpha-Chain Collagens are characterised using common techniques, including Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate PolyAcrylamide Gel Electrophoresis and Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy. The benefits of Single Alpha-Chain Collagen include a higher solubility profile than has been previously shown by other native collagens, permitting the production of novel prototype medical devices. Single Alpha-Chain Collagen extracts can be electrospun from benign solvents and physiological buffer systems, while preserving the nativity of the protein. Furthermore, it is shown within that Single Alpha-Chain Collagen extracts possess the ability to refibrillise into triple helical collagen when exposed to physiological buffers, a feature which is retained, even after electrospinning is carried out. The implications of these findings are compared to the literature as a solution to the current issues facing the electrospinning of collagen.
Item Description: A selection of third party content is redacted or is partially redacted from this thesis.
Keywords: Collagen, Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, Jellyfish, Biomaterials, Collagen Extraction
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering