• Physics: electricity & magnetism (CH1002)
• Biomechanics: connective tissue mechanics (BG2009)
• Computational methods for Bioengineers (BG2011)
• Nuclear and radiation (medical) engineering (BG4226)

Research at the Extracellular Matrix Lab is focused on defining how collagen fibrils reinforce extracellular matrices in connective tissues. The scope encompasses the following areas:

• Structure-property relationship addressing the various hierarchical levels in connective tissues
• Mechanisms of stress transfer in collagen fibrils reinforcing connective tissues
• Mechanisms of ageing in extracellular matrices (injury/repair, maintenance/assembly, cell-matrix interaction)

Collaborators:

• Cardiff University (UK)
• ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
• Guelph University (Canada)
• INRA (France)
• Manchester University (UK)
• NTU (Mechanical & Aerospace, Electrical & Electronic Engineering)

Other on-going research:

• Carbon nanotubes [CNT] (with colleagues at SCBE and Mr. Huq Abul [ Bangladesh])

• Nuclear medicine (with colleagues at SCBE and Dr David Ng [Singapore General Hospital])

• Fibre composites (in collaboration with researchers at Aberdeen, Birmingham). Focussing on physical properties, e.g. fibre structure, material properties of fibre/matrix,  failure modes

You may like to refer to these papers for further info:

Review: Finite element analysis of stress transfer in short-fibre composite materials ,

Effect of fibre shape on the stresses within fibres in fibre reinforced composite materials,

Influence of fibril taper on the function of collagen to reinforce extracellular matrix .

For further information, contact gohkl@ntu.edu.sg, or Tel: +65 63168825.