Improving the durability of silk-based implants for medical use
Official title: Controlling Naturally-Derived Polymer Enzymatic Degradation: A Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition Approach
Funded at California State University Fresno · NIH-10654781 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring how to make special silk implants that can help with healing and delivering medicine, and they want to make sure these implants last just the right amount of time in your body without causing any issues.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California State University Fresno NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fresno, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $140,000 |
| NIH project number | 5SC2GM141648-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10654781 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients requiring surgical implants, such as those undergoing joint replacements or other procedures that involve biomaterials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not require any form of surgical implants or biomaterials may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing biomaterial implants made from silk that can be used in various medical applications, such as drug delivery and wound healing. The goal is to control the degradation rates of these implants to ensure they last as long as needed without causing complications. By using a technique called plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, the researchers will modify the surface of the silk to influence how enzymes break it down in the body. This approach aims to create silk materials that can be tailored for specific medical needs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer and more effective biomaterial implants that improve patient outcomes in surgeries and treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using modified biomaterials for medical applications, indicating potential success for this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
California State University Fresno
Fresno, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hawker, Morgan J — California State University Fresno
- Study coordinator: Hawker, Morgan J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Surveillance of drug-resistant eye-related bacteria using affordable long-read sequencing
Researchers are testing a low-cost, community-friendly approach to monitor drug-resistant bacteria in settings with limited resources, using eye-drop-related Pseudomonas and local samples.
-
Enzyme-encapsulated protein frameworks to boost multi-step biocatalysis
Researchers are building enzyme-packed, virus-like particles in a solid scaffold to make multi-step chemical reactions faster and reuse the catalysts longer.
-
SEC-MALS instrument to advance biomedical research and education at Fresno State
A new SEC-MALS instrument will be bought to help Fresno State researchers and students measure the size and weight of proteins and other large molecules more accurately.
-
Affordable detection of drug-resistant Pseudomonas in eyedrops and local samples
This project tests low-cost DNA sequencing to find drug-resistant Pseudomonas in contaminated eyedrops and nearby environmental samples for communities with limited lab resources.
-
Investigating how certain compounds can kill harmful parasitic worms
This study is looking at how certain natural compounds called chalcones can help kill harmful worms that affect plants, animals, and even people, with the hope of finding new treatments for these infections.
-
Developing drugs to target proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease
This study is looking at how certain proteins affect Alzheimer's disease and aims to create new small molecules that can help boost good proteins while lowering harmful ones, with the goal of reducing brain plaque buildup, and it's being tested in lab-grown human brain cells.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.