Research Projects

Chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers and pressure sores impose substantial healthcare challenges due to prolonged healing times, infection risks, and tissue deterioration. Effective wound management necessitates the development of advanced dressing materials that are biocompatible, biodegradable, and capable of supporting cellular proliferation within a moist environment. This project aims to innovate by creating a bilayer wound healing matrix comprising a methacrylated silk fibroin (SFMA) electrospun nanofibrous scaffold and a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) top layer deposited via spin-coating. Silk fibroin (SF), a naturally derived protein polymer renowned for its biocompatibility and mechanical strength, undergoes rapid degradation in its native form and exhibits limited moisture retention. Methacrylation of SF introduces photo-crosslinkable methacrylate moieties, enabling electrospinning and UV-curing processes that enhance mechanical resilience and degradation control. The electrospun SFMA scaffold serves as the foundational layer, mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) to foster fibroblast adhesion and migration. The pHEMA top layer, a hydrophilic polymer known for minimal swelling characteristics and widely utilized in biomedical applications such as contact lenses, enhances moisture retention and provides physical protection to the underlying fibrous matrix. UV irradiation facilitates the photocrosslinking of both SFMA and pHEMA layers, ensuring the formation of a robust, interfacially bonded bilayer construct. The resulting interface forms a semi-interpenetrating polymer network due to the compatibility of methacrylate functionalities. Characterization of the bilayer dressing encompasses assessments of mechanical properties, swelling kinetics, degradation profiles, water vapor transmission rates, and interfacial adhesion strength. In vitro studies will evaluate cytocompatibility using NIH3T3 fibroblasts, conduct scratch wound assays to assess wound closure dynamics, and investigate antimicrobial efficacy against prevalent pathogens such as E. coli and S. aureus. This interdisciplinary project integrates natural and synthetic polymers, combining bioactivity with advanced moisture management within a scalable, photocurable bilayer system. The anticipated outcome is the development of a next-generation wound care product tailored for chronic and infected wounds, promising both commercial viability and translational impact in clinical settings.