Platform for the Mechanical Characterization of Polymer Biomaterials and Biological Specimens

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This application seeks funding for a Facility for the characterization of the mechanical properties of biomaterials, including polymer solutions, melts, hydrogels and solid materials and biological specimens such as mucosa and blood clots. This instrumentation is very urgently needed by three CRC (Tier 1) groups in the Department of Chemistry of the University of Toronto. These groups perform innovative and ambitious research at the interface of polymer chemistry, materials science and biology. In at least six projects in these groups, the characterization of the mechanical properties of polymer biomaterials and biological specimens is vitally important, however no instrumentation for this purpose exists in the Department of Chemistry. Furthermore, timely feedback providing guidance for polymer synthesis is not possible. Currently, mechanical characterization experiments are conducted irregularly and not in real time using the only suitable and highly over-used equipment located in the Department of Chemical Engineering (and even in other universities). The compromised efficiency and reliability of these measurements severely impedes our ability to implement our NSERC-supported research programs.