Analyzing The Effects Of Supercritical And Liquid Carbon Dioxide On Collagen Fibers

Leland Hartzog

School Name

Governor's School for Science and Math

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Chemistry

Presentation Type

Mentored

Mentor

Mentor: Dr. Matthews; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina

Oral Presentation Award

2nd Place

Written Paper Award

1st Place

Abstract

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is a component in heart valves, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. In recent years, collagen has been processed using heat, ultraviolet light, and aqueous or organic solvents for various purposes, from shoes to sausage casings. The objective of this project is to specifically tailor collagen fibers to create naturally derived tissue engineering scaffolds. To do this, a method of processing collagen using dense phase carbon dioxide was proposed with the goal of increasing the mechanical strength and slowing biodegradation, all without denaturing the fibers. The fibers were treated in an environmental chamber under both supercritical and liquid conditions. The fibers were tested for thermal stability and visible damage using differential calorimetry and stereomicroscopy, respectively. Results from the differential scanning calorimetry convey that thermal stability remained consistent between supercritical carbon dioxide treated and untreated fibers, however, the results from the liquid carbon dioxide treated fibers showed significantly more damage as a result of the treatment process. Stereomicroscopy supported these findings, as the triple helical structure of the collagen fibers remained intact in the supercritical carbon dioxide treated fibers and was comparable to the untreated fibers, whereas the liquid carbon dioxide treated fibers lost all visible macromolecular structure. From this work it can be deduced that supercritical carbon dioxide remains a viable method of processing collagen and in the future hopefully more tests, such as a circular dichroism and SDS-PAGE, can be done to assess its effects on collagen fibers.

Location

Owens 101

Start Date

4-16-2016 9:15 AM

COinS
 
Apr 16th, 9:15 AM

Analyzing The Effects Of Supercritical And Liquid Carbon Dioxide On Collagen Fibers

Owens 101

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is a component in heart valves, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. In recent years, collagen has been processed using heat, ultraviolet light, and aqueous or organic solvents for various purposes, from shoes to sausage casings. The objective of this project is to specifically tailor collagen fibers to create naturally derived tissue engineering scaffolds. To do this, a method of processing collagen using dense phase carbon dioxide was proposed with the goal of increasing the mechanical strength and slowing biodegradation, all without denaturing the fibers. The fibers were treated in an environmental chamber under both supercritical and liquid conditions. The fibers were tested for thermal stability and visible damage using differential calorimetry and stereomicroscopy, respectively. Results from the differential scanning calorimetry convey that thermal stability remained consistent between supercritical carbon dioxide treated and untreated fibers, however, the results from the liquid carbon dioxide treated fibers showed significantly more damage as a result of the treatment process. Stereomicroscopy supported these findings, as the triple helical structure of the collagen fibers remained intact in the supercritical carbon dioxide treated fibers and was comparable to the untreated fibers, whereas the liquid carbon dioxide treated fibers lost all visible macromolecular structure. From this work it can be deduced that supercritical carbon dioxide remains a viable method of processing collagen and in the future hopefully more tests, such as a circular dichroism and SDS-PAGE, can be done to assess its effects on collagen fibers.