Membrane Fusion and Chemotropic Approaches to Peripheral Nerve Regeneration (REU Supplement)

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This project is a collaboration between a chemical engineer and a physiologist, to develop new chemical systems to encourage nerve regeneration. This involves fundamental research in determining what substances cause nerve growth, and in building synthetic polymer substrates capable of supplying such substances when implanted into the human body. Similar basic research will focus on the problem of fusing cell membranes, so as to reconnect nerve systems. If this work is successful, it would have major medical benefits; furthermore, it might possibly be a step towards future work more relevant to the central nervous system, a topic which is difficult to work with but could involve very large long-term benefits to humanity.