BPI Seminar by Dr. Guang Yang

Developing High-Performance Bacterial Cellulose-based Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications

Location: CHBE #202, 2360 East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4

Agenda

• 12:00 PM  Introduction by Prof. Feng Jiang
• 12:05 PM  Presentation by Prof. Guang Yang, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
• 12:45 PM  Q&A

*Sandwiches and coffee will be provided.

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC), secreted by Gluconacetobacter xylinus, is widely employed in biomedical applications due to its unique properties, including ultrafine network structure, strong hydrophilicity, high transparency, favorable mechanical performance, and biocompatibility. However, the disordered and overly dense BC fiber network hinders cell adhesion and infiltration; its bioinert nature prevents active promotion of tissue repair and regeneration; its weak antibacterial properties fail to effectively control bacterial infection during tissue regeneration; and its lack of smart responsiveness limits its ability to sense and monitor biological signals during tissue regeneration. Therefore, the key scientific challenge in developing high-performance cellulose-based biomaterials for biomedical applications lies in enhancing the structural order, antibacterial properties, bioactivity, and smart responsiveness of BC through innovative biosynthetic and functional modification strategies. We has conducted independent scientific research around these key scientific issues, achieving a series of innovative results with distinctive features. These include: 1) Proposing a strategy for the controllable biosynthesis of BC by microorganisms, establishing methods to control the movement of Gluconacetobacter xylinus through patterned interfaces, electric fields, solid-gas-liquid interfaces, liquid phase barrier regulation, and gas phase fermentation environment control, thereby inducing the orderly synthesis of bacterial cellulose. This has led to the construction of BC bio-materials with various sizes and patterns, which have been applied to neural tissue engineering, intestinal tissue engineering, artificial vascular stents, and artificial intervertebral disc engineering stents. 2) A method has been established for preparing electroactive biomaterials from BC through in-situ redox polymerization, electrochemical polymerization, blending, and doping. In the field of wound repair, a variety of electroactive biomaterials have been developed using BC as a base material. By coupling electrical stimulation, the advantages of functional materials and electrical stimulation are combined to synergistically induce cell behavior and promote injury repair, providing new ideas and directions for solving clinical injury repair problems. In the field of medical sensing and detection, BC is used as a base material to combine conductive nanomaterials, magnetic nanoparticles, and molecular ferroelectrics, endowing BC with frictional electricity generation, electromagnetic electricity generation, and piezoelectric properties. This has led to the construction of a series of intelligent responsive biomedical materials that can be used for flexible self-powered electronic skin and health monitoring wearable devices.

Keywords: Bacterial cellulose, controllable biosynthesis, bioactive, electroactive

About the Speaker

Guang Yang is Professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. She received PhD degree in Chemistry from Wuhan University, China. She remained the Distinguished Young Chutian Scholar and Outstanding Talents in Hubei province, as well as Alexander von Humboldt and JSPS fellow. She was also a visiting scholar in Asahi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Japan and University of Akron, USA. Currently, she is serving as the Deputy Director of the Cellulose division of the Chinese Chemical Society, Chinese Ambassador  of European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE), and the council member of several committees, including the Nanocellulose and Materials Committee of China Paper Association, the Polymer Materials Analysis Technology and Characterization Method Committee of Chinese Chemical Society, the Biomedical Polymer Materials Branch of China Biomaterials Society. She is an editorial board member of Carbohydrate Polymers, Polymers, Engineered Science, Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials, etc. She is Stanford University 's Top 2 % of Global Scientists for recent 4 years and is ranked Top 2 % of Career-long Impact Global Scientists in 2023 and 2024, has authored more than 250 publications in high impact international peer-reviewed journals (h index = 89, citations: 35388， based on Google), including  Progress in Materials Science, Advanced Energy Materials, Advanced Science, Advanced Functional Materials, Biotechnology Advances, Materials Horizons, Biomaterials, ACS nano, Bioactive Materials, Nano-Micro Letters, Small, etc. She edited 4 books, authored several chapters, and registered more than 30 authorized patents. Her current research focuses on the development of nanocellulose-based functional materials, design and fabrication of novel nano-drug transporters, 3D printing, nano-assembly of ordered materials, and tissue engineering.

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