Gary E. Wnek

School of Engineering Building, Room 403A   Dept. of Chemical Engineering   Virginia Commonwealth University   601 W. Main St.	Tel: 804-828-7790 Fax: 804-828-4269 E-mail:gewnek@vcu.edu
Web: www.egr.vcu.edu/chem/ce_wnek.html
Research: Polymer scaffolds for restorative neurosurgery

BBSI project: Gold fibers as templates for neural cell growth and monitoring: can a thin gold fiber act as an artificial axon template for certain types of cells?


Cell culturing is typically carried out on flat (2-D) surfaces, yet in nature cells almost always interact with 3-D structures in rather complex ways. We are interested in developing a method to culture cells on thin fibers and to study their response using the electrical properties of gold. Preliminary work with gold fibers immersed in fibrin gel (essentially a blood clot without red blood cells) containing cells is encouraging. The answer to this question may help in developing sensors that determine biochemical triggers of neurodegenerative diseases.

Other research interests (see web page for more details)

• Polymers with unusual electrical or optical properties: ionically conducting polymers with applications in fuel cells and batteries; electromechanical activity of microphase-separated hydrogels; electroactive polymers in medicine and biotechnology.
• Electric field-modulated phenomena: morphology modulation in polymer blends; field-driven transport through membranes; electrorheological fluids; field-driven drug delivery.
• Biosensors and biochips: conductive fiber-based impedance sensors; new scaffold materials for cell growth; self-assembling block copolymer substrates; non-planar biochip systems.
• Chemical process sensors: new materials and methodologies.
• Artificial axons: templates for probing myelination and the trigger(s) for its deterioration in real time; 'guide wires' for nerve regeneration.
• Artificial ribosomes: electroactive templates for non-peptide synthesis with control of regiochemistry, stereochemistry, and sequence.
• Biopolymers from marine sources: jellyfish as a source of genetically engineered collagen.

Current research topics

• Synthesis and characterization of polymer electrolytes prepared via enzyme-catalyzed polymerizations. Team members: Dr. Karen McGrady (ChE), Kimberley Kalmes (ChE).
• In-situ monitoring of self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formation on gold fibers via impedance measurements. Team members: Dr. Philippe Lam (ChE), Dr. Anthony Guiseppi-Elie (ChE).
• Corrosion protection of copper via chemical vapor deposition of electroactive organic materials. Team member: David Colby (ChE).
• Thin carbon and gold fibers as 'artificial axons' - templates for myelination by oligodendrocytes and probes of myelination via electrical impedance measurements. Team Members: Prof. Oliver Bogler (Anatomy and Neurosurgery), Dr. Philippe Lam (ChE), David Wiggins (EE), Justin Webb (ChE), Kevin Mansfield (BME).
• Synthesis of new liquid crystal-forming polymers. Team members: Prof. Suzanne Ruder (Chem), Scott Allen (Chem), Dana Embrey (Chem), Julia McLees (ChE), Hal McDonough (ChE), Robert Sebra (ChE).
• Sensors for gas detection in process flow streams.
• Team members: Dr. Joseph Roehl (Scentczar Corp.), Prof. Gary Tepper (ChE), Dr. Natalia Levit (ChE), Catherine Branch (ChE), Joel Passmore (ChE), Joseph Goldsmith (ChE).

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