New forms of bioactive glass

The Functional Materials Group at the School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, has received £266,000 in additional funding from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to continue its research on new forms of bioactive glass.

The purpose of the research, which involves teams from the universities of Kent and Warwick, Imperial College London and University College London, is to investigate bioactive glass foams, and polymer composites of the glass, with the aim of developing materials that will promote bone regeneration in load-bearing sections of the skeleton.

As a part of this regenerative process, the glass will dissolve safely away when in contact with body fluids such as blood plasma.

Bob Newport, Professor of Materials Physics at Kent, and author of several of the grants bids, said: ‘The EPSRC has already released several million pounds to all four teams in our research partnership but this latest grant is a renewed acknowledgement of the importance of the work we are all doing.’

Professor Newport added that the EPSRC has also made further awards to the University of Warwick and ICL teams.