4 mm

1. NIRT: Nanostructured Functionally Graded BiomaterialsYogesh Vohra, University of Alabama at Birmingham, DMR-0402891 GE/GEM/GM 0.5 mm b c a 4 mm Intellectual Merit: A tri-layered tubular scaffold of gelatin/elastin/maxon that mimic the complex tri-layer matrix structure of natural artery have been prepared by sequential electrospinning. This research is notable because biodegradable scaffolds produced by electrospinning can provide temporary structure to cells for blood vessel regeneration. NIRT Publication: Biomedical Materials, Volume 2 (accepted for publication-2007) Functionally graded Gelatin (G) – Elastin (E) – Maxon (M) vascular graft scaffold fabricated using the electrospinning technique: (a). cross sectional SEM image, (b). Photograph of tubular conduit (c). Schematic showing the multilayered structure. The graft is 4 mm in diameter and 10 cm long.

2. NIRT: Nanostructured Functionally Graded BiomaterialsYogesh Vohra, University of Alabama at Birmingham, DMR-0402891 Broader Impacts: This NIRT program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in collaboration with Samford University and University of Montevallo in Alabama offer interdisciplinary materials research experiences to undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds in physics, chemistry, applied mathematics, and engineering. NIRT faculty at UAB Dr. Aaron Catledge (shown in the back) is working with the undergraduate student Neel Shrikishen from Rice University on the electrospinning of biopolymers