Digital Engineering for Healthcare

Digital engineering has emerged as a transformative tool in the fields of tissue engineering and antibiofilm research, offering unprecedented precision, efficiency, and innovation.

By integrating computational modelling and advanced imaging techniques, digital engineering enables researchers to simulate complex biological processes, optimize material designs, and predict outcomes with remarkable accuracy.

In tissue engineering, digital tools facilitate the design of scaffolds, the study of cell-material interactions, and the customisation of implants tailored to individual patients.

Meanwhile, in antibiofilm research, digital simulations help decode microbial behaviours, optimise surface properties, and accelerate the development of novel materials to combat biofilm formation in dynamic environments.

This synergy of digital and biological sciences speeds up discovery while reducing experimental costs and resource consumption. At the brink of a new era in biomedical innovation, digital engineering plays a pivotal role in shaping solutions that enhance healthcare and medicine.

Research aims

We are developing advanced computational models to predict cell-material interactions, with a focus on key applications in tissue engineering and antibiofilm research.

Methodology

We have developed advanced multiphysics modelling frameworks to uncover the underlying physics governing bacteria, mammalian cells, and their interactions with biomaterials. This research is strongly supported by experimental work, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of these complex systems.

Our cutting-edge efforts have been backed by substantial funding, including a 5.5-year EPSRC grant, completed in 2019 which supported a critical research theme and the work of three Postdoctoral Research Associates.

This work has been further strengthened by an additional EPSRC grant completed in 2020, alongside several EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) projects, Newcastle-Singapore collaboration funding, CSC studentship and EPSRC/MRC proof-of-concept projects.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Award Number BB/R012415/1), facilitated through the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC), has also provided critical funding and fostered valuable collaboration opportunities.

Through this robust infrastructure and funding support, we are pushing the boundaries of materials science and biofilm research to deliver impactful solutions across diverse industries. 

Findings

Our work has developed a bio-chemo-mechanical cell model based on finite element modelling, allowing us to predict how cells sense their environment, including interactions with biomaterials and neighboring cells.

For instance, fibroblast cells demonstrate remarkable sensitivity to changes in substrate stiffness and thickness, particularly when the substrate stiffness is below 10 kPa. Additionally, when two cells are in close proximity (<0.6 cell radius), they can sense significantly deeper into hydrogels, providing critical insights into cell behavior in soft materials (1).

In the realm of bacterial interactions, our computational modelling has proved instrumental in predicting the effects of surface properties and surface roughness on bacterial attachment (2). Moreover, we have predicted how bacteria adapt to varying environments by altering their cell wall stiffness and turgor pressure, offering valuable information on bacterial resilience mechanisms (3).

Through multiphysics biofilm modelling based on individual-based (or agent-based) approaches, we have further advanced our understanding of biofilm dynamics. This model enables predictions of how extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production influences biofilm formation, deformation, and detachment under diverse flow conditions and material interactions (4). These insights are vital for developing surfaces and materials designed to resist biofilm formation in practical applications.

Our work bridges computational and experimental approaches, shedding light on complex biological systems to inform innovative solutions in tissue engineering and antibiofilm research.

Impact

Our bio-chemo-mechanical cell modelling could guide the future design of cell-hydrogel combinations for tissue engineering. Meanwhile, our biophysical modelling for bacteria could help to address antimicrobial resistance. Finally, the multiphysics biofilm models we have developed could potentially enable the optimisation of strategies to manage biofilms.

References

  1. Yang, W.; Luo, M.; Gao, Y.; Feng, X.; Chen, J. Mechanosensing Model of Fibroblast Cells Adhered on a Substrate with Varying Stiffness and Thickness. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 2023, 171, 105137.
  2. Chinnaraj, S. B.; Jayathilake, P. G.; Dawson, J.; Ammar, Y.; Portoles, J.; Jakubovics, N.; Chen, J. Modelling the Combined Effect of Surface Roughness and Topography on Bacterial Attachment. Journal of Materials Science and Technology 2021, 81, 151–161.
  3. Han, R.; Feng, X.-Q.; Stoodley, P.; Vollmer, W.; Chen, J. Deciphering the Adaptation of Bacterial Cell Wall Mechanical Integrity and Turgor to Different Chemical or Mechanical Environments. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2023, 640, 510–520.
  4. Xia, Y.; Jayathilake, P. G.; Li, B.; Zuliani, P.; Deehan, D.; Longyear, J.; Stoodley, P.; Chen, J. Coupled CFD-DEM Modelling to Predict How EPS Affects Bacterial Biofilm Deformation, Recovery, and Detachment Under Flow Conditions. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 2022, 119, 2551–2563.

Meet our experts

Former PhD students:

  • Wenjian Yang
  • Yuqing Xia
  • Subash Bommu Chinnaraj
  • Rui Han
  • Jack Dawson