Modification and characterisation or surfaces and plasma processes for biotechnological applications

我的研究计划目标之一是在大气压下开发基于等离子体的表面修饰策略，以精确控制生物材料的功能化，从而进一步偶联生物活性分子。这需要使用适当的实验计划和数学模型将等离子体特性与等离子体处理后的表面化学反应联系起来。我的研究项目的另一个目标是模拟生物材料表面的细胞外基质，通过用纳米和微米几何线索装饰它，这些线索含有促进细胞粘附、迁移和分化的生物活性分子。我的研究计划的第一个目标将集中在介电阻挡放电（DBD）大气压等离子体中功能化或涂覆聚合物的等离子体特性和表面化学的相关性。在本研究计划的过程中，FTIR发射和吸收光谱将同时被记录，以表征大气等离子体，其中气态前体不仅被消耗，而且还转化为其他化学物质。关于新形成物质的性质和浓度的定量信息（通过吸收光谱获得）和能量参数（通过发射光谱获得）将使用多变量分析与等离子体处理的材料表面物理化学性质相关联。我的研究计划的第二个目标将是模拟生物材料表面的细胞外基质，通过用纳米和微米几何线索装饰它，这些线索含有促进细胞粘附、迁移和分化的生物活性分子。为了进一步了解生物活性线索的几何形状和大小以及驱动细胞分化，我们将在纳米和微观尺度上设计具有细胞粘附、细胞迁移和细胞分化分子的三功能生物材料图案表面。为了做到这一点，我们将首先使用电子束纳米光刻技术将表面的纳米区域与上述三种类型的肽之一结合。此后，这种纳米图案表面将用于更经典的微光刻，在图案微区域上绘制另外两种生物活性分子的图案。最后，所得到的表面将由三功能化表面组成，通过在纳米和微观尺度上将几何组织的生物线索暴露于细胞环境中，在某种程度上模仿细胞外基质。这些表面将被研究其促进人间充质干细胞分化的潜力。

One of my research program objectives is to develop plasma- based surface modification strategies at atmospheric pressure to precisely control the functionalization of biomaterials for further conjugation of bioactive molecules. This requires correlating the plasma characteristics with the resulting plasma -treated surface chemistry using appropriate experimental planning and mathematical modelling. Another objective of my research program is to mimic the extracellular matrix on the surface of biomaterials by decorating it with both nanometric and micrometric geometrical cues containing bioactive molecules that promote cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation. The first objective of my research program will center on correlating plasma characteristics and surface chemistry of functionalized or coated polymers in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) atmospheric pressure plasmas. In the course of the present research program, FTIR emission and absorption spectra will be simultaneously recorded to characterize atmospheric plasmas in which gaseous precursors are not only consumed, but also converted into other chemical species. The quantitative information about the nature and concentration of the newly formed species (obtained through absorption spectroscopy) and energetic parameters  (obtained by emission spectroscopy) will be correlated with the plasma--treated material surface physicochemical properties using multivariate analysis. The second objective of my research program will be to mimic the extracellular matrix on the surface of biomaterials by decorating it with both nanometric and micrometric geometrical cues containing bioactive molecules that promote cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation. To further our understanding of the geometry and sizes of bioactive cues and that drive cell differentiation, we will engineer trifunctional biomaterials patterned surfaces with cell adhesion, cell migration, and cell differentiation molecules at both the nano and micro scales. To do that, we will first use electron beam nanolithography to conjugate nano areas of the surface with one of the three aforementioned types of peptides. Thereafter, this nanopatterned surface will be used for more classical microlithography, to pattern the two other types of bioactive molecules on patterned micro areas . At the end, the resulting surface will consist in a trifunctionalized surface which somewhat mimics the extracellular matrix by exposing geometrically organized biological cues at both the nano and micro scales to the cellular environment. These surfaces will be investigated as to their potential to promote human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation.