BioE MS Thesis Presentation- Kelly Hyland
Advisor: Julie Champion, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Committee:
Andres Garcia, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Valeria Milam, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Immobilization of Adhesive Protein Domains in PEG Hydrogels
Synthetic hydrogels, most numerously poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels, offer a modular platform for biomaterials design because the bioactive ligand identity and density, as well as hydrogel stiffness, can be precisely and independently controlled. However, PEG hydrogels have seldom been used as a 3D platform for investigating differences in cell behavior when in contact with different extracellular matrix protein domains. Using recombinant protein design, expression, and characterization, this study compares cell behavior when cultured on PEG hydrogels presenting structured protein domains and minimum sequence peptides. We observe differences in cell morphology, protease production and attachment force when cultured on hydrogels with different adhesive protein domains.