New Biopolymers for Medical Applications

The long-term objectives are to use a biological catalyst known as a polymerase and to create new biopolymers and identify those polymers with useful properties for the biomedical industry. Specifically, in the biomedical area these novel biocompatible materials may be useful in applications such as surgical aids as anti-adhesion agents, controlled drug delivery using microcapsules, wound care as sutures and gauzes, bone plates, and therapeutic targeting. The research goals involve preparing small organic molecules which may be converted, through the long chain polymerase from Pseudomonas oleovorans, into new biomaterials. The latter will subsequently be characterized. By screening a large number of small organic molecules, it should be possible to create many new biodegradable polyesters for the medical industry.