Native state imaging and characterization of hydrogels using advanced electron microscopy through the development of new techniques

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) typically requires sample thicknesses below approx. 200 nm. Where samples cannot be directly deposited or grown on the grid, the preparation of samples requiring cryogenic stabilisation often hit a stumbling block as there is currently no reliable solution for this. The student will be engaged in the development of new sample preparation approaches and hardware development to enable the native state imaging of beam sensitive materials (hydrogels) with a focus on regenerative medicine materials. The aim will be to create a solution for routine FIB-SEM to TEM transfer to enable cryo-TEM of soft-matter samples. The student will use cell culture facilities to create the gels and state-of-the-art microscopy instrumentation to
interrogate their nanoscale structures investigating the interactions of cells in the matrix. The project will combine these areas to better understand how the gel properties and cell types affect the cell-gel interaction within the 3D scaffolds for cell culture. The result will be an improved understanding of how these factors can be tuned for their desired application.