Dresden 2006 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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AKB: Biologische Physik

AKB 20: Nano-Biomaterials and Devices

AKB 20.5: Vortrag

Donnerstag, 30. März 2006, 11:15–11:30, ZEU 255

Fundamental Hemostasis Investigations in Microdevices — •Heather Evans, Stephan Herminghaus, and Thomas Pfohl — Max Planck Institut für Dynamik und Selbstorganisation, Göttingen, Germany 37073

Fibrin is a prominent protein in the complex process of hemostasis, or blood clotting. This protein aggregates at a site of injury when monomers of fibrinogen assemble into fibers of fibrin via enzyme catalysis. The biodegradable nature and good tissue tolerance of fibrin networks have already been demonstrated in terms of commercially available wound covering agents, and this protein has been implicated in medical conditions such as artherosclerosis, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. Our studies aim to elucidate mechanisms of fibrin assembly while utilizing the spatio-temporal resolution and confinement induced by microchannel structures. Microchannel devices require less reagent, resulting in a more efficient and cheaper experimental design, and enable investigations of the evolution of biomolecular interactions in ambient conditions. Small angle X-ray microdiffraction and microscopy studies have been conducted on fibrin formed within microchannels. In our experimental system, the addition of enzyme and subsequent formation of fibrin can be carefully controlled by adjusting parameters such as concentration, flow rate, and channel geometry. To this end, network densities and fibrin bundle sizes of structures formed within microchannels will be discussed.