Chemical Engineering Seminar Series : Prof. Satyavrata Samavedi

Electrospun Meshes as Drug Carriers: Mechanistic Insights and Biomedical Applications.

Our lab is broadly interested in understanding processing-property-function relationships in polymeric biomaterials with the goal of developing drug carriers for controlled release applications. Our major focus is the industrially important technique of electrospinning, which we holistically investigate to gain insights into fiber formation. We use this understanding to rationally design functionalized meshes which serve as vehicles for the release of drugs and cytokines. In the first part of my talk, I will discuss our efforts in in situ visualization of electrospinning to aid the identification of stable operational regimes and to obtain physical insights into jet thinning. I will present results from recent studies wherein we have established universal cone-shape parameters that strongly correlate with fiber diameter. Our approach can lead to real time control of fiber diameter in electrospinning, which can have significant implications for mesh performance in biomedical applications. In the second part of my talk, I will focus on our efforts in developing drug formulations using electrospinning. Here, I will discuss the establishment of property-performance relationships that shed light on drug release mechanisms from nanofibrous meshes. I will also present design strategies to achieve sustained zero order release of corticosteroids. I will end with selected snapshots from ongoing collaborative work that involves the deployment of drug-functionalized meshes to target chronic inflammation associated with degenerative diseases.