Biomedical Materials at Penn State

Ph.D. student, Amra Tabakovic, examines fluorescent dyes encapsulated in nanoparticles. Ph.D. student, Amra Tabakovic, examines fluorescent dyes encapsulated in nanoparticles.

The interaction of the life sciences and materials research takes many forms at Penn State. From heart assist devices to artificial cells, Penn State scientists, engineers, and clinicians are breaking new paths in the study of biological systems and the integration of new materials into the body. These materials and devices could help to control the electrical storms that result in epileptic seizures, serve as cardiac stents and orthopedic implants that dissolve when their work is finished, or deliver therapeutic drugs without needles via ultrasound.

At the core of many of these discoveries are the new nano- and micro-technologies that allow for investigation and manipulation of objects at the molecular and cellular level. Tools for creating unique composite materials, for observing drug interactions within cells, for forging microscale surgical instruments, and for targeting diseases without damaging healthy tissue are all the result of advances in the ability to see and move atoms and molecules.

In 2011, Penn State will open the doors to a major research facility on the University Park campus devoted to the study of materials and the life sciences. The Millennium Science Complex will accelerate the rate of discovery in biomaterials that is already well underway at Penn State, as evidenced by the following research nuggets.

This research brief was featured in the brochure Biomedical Materials.