Join Dr Paul Roach, Reader in Biomaterials and Interface Science, Loughborough University for this Design & Engineering research seminar.
Location: P423, Poole House, Talbot Campus
Abstract:
The seminar will cover aspects of brain-on-a-chip development, using surface chemistry and micro-fabricated device structures to house multiple populations of cells in segregated co-culture, directing them to connect together in neural cell circuits as they would be within normal brain tissue. Current research towards an EU Future Emerging Technologies project – Neu-ChiP, will be touched on to demonstrate the versatility of the platform and use across disease modelling, drug testing and biological computer engineering areas. Use of organoid systems will also be covered briefly, offering the exiting potential for highly complex functional neural units to be used as building blocks in lab-on-a-chip systems.
Brief Biography:
Paul Roach has a highly distinguished record of work in the field of biomaterials, involving aspects of surface science, materials modification and sensing. His publications deliver a comprehensive framework underpinning the understanding of biological-surface interactions, being highly interdisciplinary in scope. Dr Roach’s early work on protein-nanoparticle interactions opened many avenues for industrial and clinical strategies for surface coating methodologies, both for medical implants and drug delivery systems. His scientific contribution continues to develop in areas of regenerative medicine for neuronal system engineering, combining aspects of surface science, microfabrication and in situ biological sensing. Having studied within the fundamental chemical sciences, Dr Roach followed his interests to make pioneering studies of protein- and cell-surface interactions, with a focus on the surface chemical and scale effects of nano and micro-topography. His work has been flagged as a hot topic in JACS, Chem Commun and also reported in Nature News, spanning fundamental journals in synthetic chemistry, theoretical physics, sensing and biomedical engineering. Dr Roach’s recent research on single cell spectroscopy has direct clinical applicability, with much of his work designed with targeted collaborations into the clinical environment.