A nationally recognized authority on biomaterials, drug delivery and tissue engineering will discuss his research March 4 during the 2004 Roger Malkin Distinguished Lecturer Series at Mississippi State.
Antonios Mikos' public lecture is the latest in an annual series sponsored by the university's Life Sciences and Biotechnology Institute. Titled "Biodegradable, In-situ Crosslinkable Hydrogels as Injectable Carriers for Cell and Drug Delivery," his presentation begins at 3 p.m. in the Wise Center auditorium.
Mikos is John W. Cox Professor of Bioengineering and professor of chemical engineering at Rice University. He also heads the Mikos Research Group, which specializes in biomaterials, drug delivery and tissue engineering.
"The loss of tissues to disease, trauma or congenital defects often requires surgical intervention to restore," Mikos writes in describing his research focus. "Tissue engineering seeks to treat tissue loss by the implantation of a biodegradable material as a carrier for cells and/or bioactive factors to encourage regeneration of the afflicted area.
"Our laboratory emphasizes the use of synthetic biodegradable polymers as supportive scaffolds for cells, as conduits for guided tissue growth, as specific substrates for targeted cell adhesion, or as stimulants for a desired cellular response," he noted. "We are investigating bone regeneration and repair using a biodegradable polymer scaffold."
The lectureship series was established in honor of the late Roger Malkin, a pioneering Mississippi agribusinessman, MSU benefactor, and longtime chairman and chief executive officer of the Scott-based Delta and Pine Land Co. Malkin died in 2000.
The Life Sciences and Biotechnology Institute seeks to foster MSU education and research leadership roles in the life sciences and biotechnology, while promoting economic development and creating quality employment opportunities in Mississippi. The institute is headed by H. Alan Wood.
