Advances in nanotechnology have important implications for tissue engineering, gene editing, precision medicine, and more.
For instance, WID scientists are advancing the science and engineering of manufacturing scaffolds with the aid of nanotechnology. These scaffolds will give cells a place to adhere while dividing, communicating, absorbing nutrients, and disposing of waste. The scaffolds will also provide a platform for various drug delivery modes.
WID researchers Randolph Ashton and Tom Turng partnered on a project to create hydrogel molds that will allow them to more precisely control the three-dimensional structures of organoids.
Visiting Scholar
Multifunctional polymer nanocomposites for various applications
WID’s Randolph Ashton, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, is the new associate director for UW–Madison’s Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center.
Biomass-based functional materials for applications in flexible electronics and energy.
A second WID-led team joins NIH’s Somatic Cell Genome Editing Consortium with a grant to study new methods of delivering the CRISPR/Cas9 system to the brain.
Research Scientist
Bioinspired macromolecular and supramolecular strategy for advanced biomaterials.
A team of researchers is developing a new approach for maintaining open blood vessels in the wake of surgeries such as angioplasties or bypasses.
Investigators from WID are among the recipients of the latest round of UW2020 awards.
The scholarship recognizes promising undergraduates who plan to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD followed by a research career in engineering, mathematics, or the natural sciences.
WID researcher Shaoqin Sarah Gong is working to more safely deliver a variety of drugs to treat cancer, heart disease and even blindness.
Error rates as high as 50 percent are a problem when the goal is to correct typos in the DNA that cause genetic disease. Now, a team of researchers led by WID’s Kris Saha has made the fix less mistake-prone.
In August 2017, Randolph Ashton received almost $800,000 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of NIH, to continue a five-year research study of Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS), after successfully completing its first phase.
The National Science Foundation has awarded nearly $20 million to a consortium of universities to support a new engineering research center that will develop transformative tools and technologies for the consistent, scalable, and low-cost production of high-quality living therapeutic cells. Several WID investigators are collaborators on the project.
