Alina Kirillova aims to solve ‘delicate puzzle’ of connective tissue repair

Always fascinated by the intersection of polymer chemistry, materials design and biomedical applications, materials science and engineering assistant professor Alina Kirillova’s background in polymer synthesis has evolved into an interest in creating materials to interact beneficially with biological systems.

With a focus on the synthetic side of polymeric materials design, Kirillova’s lab researches all four aspects of materials science – structure (of the polymeric material and of the scaffolds/implants being fabricated), properties (characterizing and optimizing the material), processing (using tools like additive manufacturing) and performance (mechanical and biological).

Tuning polymer chemistry, structure and processing simultaneously (vs. optimizing each in isolation), Kirillova and her laboratory team aim to better understand ways to design both chemically active and mechanically robust polymeric biomaterials.

What’s the long-term goal? “We want to create functional, biocompatible and, in some cases, biodegradable scaffolds and implants for various tissues and soft-to-hard tissue interfaces – think cartilage, ligaments or bone repair,” says Kirillova. “Matching both mechanical performance and biological integration in these types of scaffolds and implants is crucial.”

By combining polymer synthesis, 3D printing and structure-property characterization to design and test various types of polymer structures and scaffolds, they’ve been able to adjust both the polymer network chemistry and scaffold design to achieve precise control over mechanical properties while maintaining biocompatibility.

“Scaffolds, such as this gyroid, allow us to create a structural framework for cell infiltration with controlled stiffness, porosity and pore interconnectivity, suitable for various tissue types. If we’re using a biodegradable polymer, the material and scaffold structure also allows us to control the degradation profile,” says Kirillova, “We’ve shown by adjusting both the polymer network chemistry and scaffold design, precise control over mechanical properties can be achieved while maintaining biocompatibility.”

In using this approach and revealing structure-property relationships, achievement of a wide range of properties of any polymeric material is realized. The lab team is currently expanding the work toward composite scaffolds and exploring multi-material 3D printing to further tailor local properties within a single structure.

For Kirillova, the most challenging part of the research is also the most rewarding.

“Balancing structural precision with material performance and achieving the right combination of stiffness, flexibility and degradation behavior is a delicate puzzle we enjoy solving.”