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.