Functional Hydrogels As Biomaterials

This book introduces readers to the latest advances in hydrogel biomaterials, mainly focusing on the emerging areas of synthetic and biopolymer hydrogels formed through specially designed chemical or physical crosslinking, and the cyclodextrin-based host-guest supramolecular self-assembly, for cell encapsulation, cell expansion, cell differentiation and tissue repair, stem cell culture, and cellular therapy and drug delivery applications.

The book was written by experts at the forefront of these interdisciplinary areas and is intended for all researchers working in the fields of biomaterials and biomedical engineering, as well as medical professions.

Jun Li is a Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Yoshihito Osada is a Professor at RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Japan.

Justin Cooper-White is a Professor at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Australia.

Jun Li is a Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS). He is also a Senior Member of the NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS). Before joining NUS, he was a Senior Scientist at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore. Prof. Li’s expertise lies across the synthesis and modification of both synthetic and bio-based polymers, and their supramolecular self-assemblies for various applications such as drug and gene delivery, tissue engineering, personal care, and environmental sustainability.

Yoshihito Osada is a Professor emeritus of Hokkaido University, Japan. He is the Special Advisor to, and was the Deputy Director of the Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Japan. Before joining RIKEN, he was the Executive and Vice President of Hokkaido University, and was a Professor of Polymer Chemistry in the Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University. Prof. Osada’s research interests are in the areas of polymer gels, artificial muscles, and bio-nanomachines.

Justin Cooper-White is a Professor at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Australia. Prof. Cooper-White’s research interests include biomaterials processing, tissue engineering, non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, rheology and microfluidics. His projects in all of these areas have a common focus on providing fundamental insights into complex polymer-based structures and systems, with the aim of ultimately tailoring and controlling their interactions with biological systems.