£5.4 million for next generation biomaterials

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has announced funding of £5.4 million for research into new healthcare materials.

The grant – awarded to Professor Morgan Alexander at the University of Nottingham – will support a programme called Next Generation Biomaterials Discovery that aims to accelerate the discovery and application of advanced healthcare materials.

Professor Alexander said: “Advanced biomaterials are essential components in targeting infectious diseases and cancers, realising the potential of regenerative medicine and the medical devices of the future. We aim to move beyond the existing limited range of generic bioresorbable polymeric drug and cell delivery agents to bespoke materials identified to function for specific applications.”

A multidisciplinary team of researchers – including the engineering, science and medical faculties at Nottingham – will collaborate to define the chemistry, stiffness, topography and shape of materials that can control the response of cells. The programme, led by Professor Alexander, will focus on new materials that can help drug delivery, regenerative medicine and advanced materials for next generation medical devices.

Minister for Life Sciences George Freeman said: “From regenerative medicine through to the next generation of cutting-edge medical devices, biomaterials will be essential components of 21st Century healthcare. This £5.4 million government investment will help researchers at the University of Nottingham to develop ground breaking new techniques that will speed up the discovery and application of these increasingly important materials.”