American Journal of Advanced Drug Delivery Open Access

Ipsita Roy

Biography

My research focuses on the use of Biomaterials in the area of Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in the use of bacteria derived natural polymers. I lead one of the major groups in the UK working on natural polymers, especially Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). This area of research is highly multidisciplinary involving biomedical engineering, chemistry, clinical biology, biomaterials, biochemistry, microbiology and biochemical engineering. There is considerable scientific and commercial interest in these biodegradable polyesters. In my laboratory, the work on PHAs has mainly involved the production of these polymers using innovative fermentation technology and a variety of sustainable feedstock. I have pioneered the use of Gram positive bacteria for the production of non-immunogenic PHAs. In addition to PHAs I have now initiated the production of other natural polymers such as ?-Polyglutamic Acid, a biocompatible hydrogel especially suitable for drug delivery applications; Bacterial cellulose for tissue engineering applications. The main focus of my work is the application of PHAs in biomedical engineering and controlled drug delivery. I am exploring the use of these polymers in bone tissue engineering, cartilage tissue engineering, cardiac tissue engineering, nerve tissue engineering, wound healing, dental applications, medical devices and controlled drug delivery. Products under development include cardiac patches, biodegradable stents, nerve conduits, bone and cartilage replacement constructs, antimicrobial materials, drug delivery vehicles and skin replacement patches. I have published extensively in this area and currently have three large grants in these areas. Patent applications related to this work are under consideration. I actively collaborate with Professor Mohan Edirisinghe, University College London, UK, Professor Jonathan Knowles, University College London, UK, Professor A. Boccaccini, University of Erlangen-Neuremberg, Germany, Professor John Haycock, Sheffield University, UK, Dr. Fredrick Claeyssens, Sheffield University, UK, Professor Sian Harding, Imperial College London, UK, Professor Ruth Cameron, University of Cambridge, UK, Professor Richard Oreffo, University of Southampton, Dr Eugen Stulz, UK, University of Southampton, UK, Professor Gianluca Ciardelli, Politecnico Torino, Italy and Dr. Iban Quintana, Tekniker, Spain.

Research Interest

My research focuses on the use of Biomaterials in the area of Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in the use of bacteria derived natural polymers. I lead one of the major groups in the UK working on natural polymers, especially Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). This area of research is highly multidisciplinary involving biomedical engineering, chemistry, clinical biology, biomaterials, biochemistry, microbiology and biochemical engineering.