Peptide Synthesizer For Biomaterial Preparation

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Canadian citizens aged over 65 years currently consume over 40% of the annual healthcare budget. Within the next 20 years, this segment of the population is expected to increase from 12% to 21%, with a comparable increase in healthcare expenditures. Consequently, dramatic increases in healthcare costs are also expected over the next two decades. The financial burden of cardiovascular and orthopaedic care for the aging population has been called one of the greatest Canadian healthcare challenges of the 21st century. An emerging technology that has the potential to be a solution to this healthcare problem is tissue engineering. Tissue engineering involves the preparation of a biomaterial scaffold onto which the appropriate cells are seeded and grown either in vivo or in vitro to generate new tissue. With the demand for replacement tissues far exceeding the donor supply, tissue engineering to replace lost or damaged tissues is a promising concept that may revolutionize medicine. We are developing novel biomaterials and approaches for stem cell delivery to treat cardiovascular conditions, as well as to regenerate structural soft tissues such as ligaments and articular cartilage. The ability to synthesize the appropriate amounts of the peptides in a timely and cost-effective manner is key to the future development of these biomaterials and cell-based treatments. This application is to request funds to purchase a CEM Corp. Liberty Blue peptide synthesizer. This peptide synthesizer will be part of a shared laboratory for applied biomedical research housed in the Human Mobility Research Centre at Queen's University and will directly support our graduate program in Chemical Engineering. There is currently no peptide synthesizer present at Queen's University and its absence leads to significant delays in material development and thus research progress. The requested equipment will be used by 22 graduate and undergraduate students, and contribute to the research of 2 faculty members here at Queen's University.