For
USPS Delivery:
Rice University
Department of Bioengineering - MS142
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, Texas 77005
tel: 713-348-4204, fax: 713-348-4244
For
Courier Delivery:
Rice University
Department of Bioengineering - MS142
BioScience Research
Collaborative
6500 Main Street
Houston, Texas 77030
Welcome
to the homepage
of the Mikos Research Group at Rice University!
Our
laboratory
specializes in biomaterials, drug delivery, gene
therapy, and
tissue engineering. It emphasizes the use of synthetic
biodegradable
polymers
as:
supportive
scaffolds
for cells
conduits
for
guided tissue growth
specific
substrates
for targeted cell adhesion
stimulants
for
a desired cellular response
carriers
for
controlled drug delivery
non-viral
vectors
for gene therapy
Our
current
projects include:
investigating
bone
regeneration and repair using a biodegradable
polymer scaffold,
either by inducing post-implantation bone tissue
growth or by seeding
the scaffold with bone cells prior to implantation
developing
new
rapid prototyping processing methods for
manufacturing
three-dimensional biodegradable polymer scaffolds of
anatomical shapes
with precise architecture
fabricating
injectable,
in situ
polymerizable, biodegradable composite
scaffolds as carriers for bone and cartilage cells
to improve the
quality of tissue formed in localized areas after
injury
developing
new
flow perfusion bioreactors and examining the effects
of mechanical
forces and flow on three-dimensional cultures of
bone cells and the
production of extracellular matrix
synthesizing
new
biomimetic materials that exhibit the mechanical
responsiveness and
biochemical processing capabilities of living cells
and tissues
investigating
the
controlled release of growth factors from polymeric
scaffolds to induce regeneration cascades in bone
and cartilage
fabricating
novel
nanocomposites using nanoparticles and single-walled
carbon nanotubes as reinforcing agents to improve
mechanical properties
of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
We hope this
site will
inform and enlighten, and not only give you a better
idea
of what we do but who we are. Questions, comments, and
suggestions
regarding
either the group or the site are welcome, and can be
directed to any of
the
personnel listed in the personnel.
