This month sweat and tears have been my companions. Besides of dissertation writing, I was working on selection of the most favorable PEM-architecture for VEGF adsorption and endothelial cell adhesion and viability, as well as investigated in vitro bioactivity of the VEGF-functionalized biomaterial. Three different PEM films have been chosen: PLL/HA, PLL/HA cross-linked and PLL/HA with nanoparticles. Cellular response was chemo-mechano-regulated by VEGF growth factor introduction as well as NHS/EDC cross-linking and silver nanoparticles incorporation. At first VEGF adsorption efficiency and release kinetics were investigated. We were also interested in the positive effects of VEGF-functionalized PEM films on HUVECs proliferation. To complete results, chemo-mechano-regulation was applied to observe changes in pro-angiogenic factors’ secretion by endothelial cells.

3D pair analysis for liquid binary and ternary metallic solutions have been performed. Local short-range structure from both used approaches are adequate. Bond-angle distribution functions have been also determined.

I spent the first two weeks of this new year in Amsterdam attending
a school dedicated to molecular-dynamics simulations, MolSim2015.
Besides, I was polishing my dissertation.

The optimization have been performed using FDTD Solution simulation. Unit cell of perfect silver particles array on top of Si layer were investigated. The absorption was calculated from the transmission monitors located at the Si surface and at the depth of 0,5 um. The changing parameters were NPs size and sufrace coverage. The determined optimal structre should contain 140 nm particles covering 10 % of the surface. Additional cases of 15 nm SiO2 spacing layer and canche in the integration range in Am 1.5 spectrum were analyzed as well. Next step was experimental approach to this optimal structures.

December was another month that was dominated by
writing subsequent chapters of my dissertation.
At the end of the month, the first draft
of the dissertation was ready.