Invited: Stimuli Responsive Biomaterials: Concept and Applications

Stimuli responsive polymers have received considerable attention over the last decade due to their ability to change their structural and mechanical properties when exposed to an external stimulus. These materials can be used in a diverse range of applications including drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering, biosensors, coatings and textiles. The stimuli can be endogenous, e.g. pH, redox and enzymes or exogenous such as temperature, magnetic or electrical signal and light. The mechanism in which the structural and mechanical changes occur is attributed to the molecule`s nature and to the type of stimuli. In this presentation I will discuss the concepts of stimuli-responsiveness, the fundamental materials properties required and new strategies developed in my lab. I will also present a new formulation composed of living Bacillus subtilis bacteria incorporated in a thermoresponsive hydrogel. This unique formula hardens after administration on the skin and penetrates via the stratum corneum while continuously produces antifungal agents.