Discussion

Biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have progressed to more sophisticated designs and chemistries to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) environment surrounding cells. Despite these advances, engineered tissue constructs are typically functionally inferior to native biological tissues. This is largely due to their inability to recreate the complex hierarchy and organisation of the ECM that gives biological tissues their exceptional properties. Advanced scaffold fabrication techniques and novel functionalisation strategies can be combined to generate scaffolds with physical architectures and biomolecule organisation that mimic native tissues to encourage the regeneration of functional tissues. In particular, I will focus on how peptides can be used to specifically and dynamically guide biomolecule composition within biodegradable scaffolds for translational applications. This talk will also discuss ways to design and tailor biomaterials and utilise them as platforms to deepen understanding of how the physical structure, biomolecule arrangement, and cell-material interactions influence cell behaviour and tissue function.