EPSRC Reference: |
EP/G012741/1 |
Title: |
Structure-Property Relationships in Peptide Hydrogels |
Principal Investigator: |
Adams, Professor DJ |
Other Investigators: |
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Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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Project Partners: |
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Department: |
Chemistry |
Organisation: |
University of Liverpool |
Scheme: |
First Grant Scheme |
Starts: |
01 February 2009 |
Ends: |
20 July 2012 |
Value (£): |
356,088
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EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
Materials Characterisation |
Materials Processing |
Materials Synthesis & Growth |
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EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology |
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Related Grants: |
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Panel History: |
Panel Date | Panel Name | Outcome |
24 Jul 2008
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Materials Prioritisation Panel Meeting (July)
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Announced
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
Hydrogels are of wide technical and scientific interest because they consist mainly of water, often similar to that of bodily tissue. Hydrogels are used for applications including contact lenses, tissue engineering, drug release, and biosensing. Each of these applications requires gels with different materials properties. The network that traps the water is often polymeric, but recent studies have shown that short peptides can be used, offering advantages with regards to biocompatibility and flexibility of design. Whilst the synthesis and characterisation of many of these peptides and hydrogels formed from them is receiving a significant amount of interest, there is limited understanding linking the properties of the gels formed to the chemical nature of the gelator used. As a result, generating hydrogels for specific applications is a hit-and-miss affair, requiring iterative synthesis and testing. This work focuses on the underpinning science of hydrogel formation from oligopeptides and the development of complete design rules for such materials. Such rules will move the field forward dramatically, establishing design criteria for specific applications and allowing the full exploitation of this exciting technology.
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Key Findings |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
Summary |
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Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Project URL: |
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Further Information: |
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Organisation Website: |
http://www.liv.ac.uk |