Interactions between bioactive glasses and proteins
Investigator: Martin Kapp (Master Student) 
Betreuer: Dr.-Ing. Kai Zheng, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Aldo R. Boccaccini
When biomaterials come in contact with a biological medium, proteins immediately adsorb onto their surfaces [1]. Due to their unique properties such as bioactivity and osteogenesis potential, bioactive glass nanoparticles are being increasingly considered for bone regeneration applications [2]. Understanding the interactions between biomaterials and proteins is particularly important for applications of materials in the biomedical field. In this project, the effects of characteristics (e.g. particle size, composition) of bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGN) on protein adsorption will be investigated. Moreover, the influence of adsorbed proteins on the properties of BGN, such as bioactivity, will also be studied.
[1] M. Mahmoudi et al., Protein - Nanoparticle Interactions Opportunities and Challenges, Chem. Rev., 2011, 111 (9), pp 5610–5637.
[2] K. Zheng, A. R. Boccaccini, Sol-gel processing of bioactive glass nanoparticles: A review, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 2017, 249, pp 363-373.
