Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Blood clots are extraordinary adhesives. They adhere to surfaces underwater and under flow with a high degree of control to rapidly and effectively seal wounds. Although the cohesive properties of blood clots have been well studied, their adhesive properties have not. To this end, my research team was the first to report the adhesive strength of whole blood clots to blood vessel surfaces. Understanding how blood clots adhere to surfaces under harsh conditions will uncover new approaches to designing smart adhesives and sealants. Designing effective wet sealants is an important engineering goal, with a wide range of possible applications including in the food industry, and for creating clothing that protects from chemical and biological hazards.Our overarching goal is to elucidate what modulates blood clot adhesion and use this knowledge to design novel adhesives and sealants.Over the next five years, we aim to:1) Uncover the fundamental mechanisms of blood clot adhesion.We will work with human and animal blood to uncover the components of blood and surfaces that contribute to adhesion and allow clots to rapidly, controllably and effectively seal wounds. Specifically, we will explore how adhesion is influenced by self-propagation of blood clots, and incorporate this unique feature into our smart adhesives and sealants.2) Purify and optimize the components of adhesion for new applications.Once we have identified the key components of clot adhesion to natural and artificial surfaces, we will isolate and purify them and explore ways to increase their utility in industrial applications. This includes extending shelf life and expanding the range of temperatures and conditions in which adhesion can occur.3) Design new adhesives and sealant technologies.We will use the optimized clot adhesion components to engineer adhesives for specific industrial applications. This includes improving commercially available animal or bacteria-derived food glues,' which bind meat and produce together, improve texture, and reduce production costs. Another application is to design protective combat uniforms that can self-repair rips by releasing adhesives when damaged. There is military and industrial demand for self-sealing clothing that protects operators from chemical and biological hazards while being flexible, lightweight and cost-effective.My research team has a successful track record of patenting and commercializing new technologies, as well as expertise in coagulation and blood clot adhesion and engineering. Insights gained will have a major impact to the field of sealants and adhesives, blood coagulation, and to the food and defence industries. By extending our current collaborations with Defence Research and Development Canada, the program will provide interdisciplinary training to Biomedical Engineering graduate students in knowledge transfer to industry and government.