Macroporous Polymers Production Properties and Biotechnological/Biomedical Applications

Macroporous polymers are rapidly becoming the material of choice for many tissue engineering, bioseparation, and bioprocessing applications. However, while important information is scattered about in many different publications, none, to date, have drawn this information together in user-friendly format, until now. Meeting the need for an accessible, organized resource, Macroporous Polymers: Production Properties and Biotechnological/Biomedical Applications supplies a systematic presentation of the production, characterization, and application of these polymers.

The text discusses traditional methods of production, including phase separation polymerization, leaching, foaming, and double emulsion as well as emerging methods such as cryogelation. The chapters also detail the various applications of macroporous gels for the separation of biomolecules and for the cultivation of mammalian cells in bioreactors and for tissue engineering. The book underscores existing and potential problems while providing a solid background on which to base the evaluation of the scientific and commercial value of new developments.

The editors bring together different viewpoints, summarize state-of-the-art achievement, and cover applications in biotechnology, downstream processing, and biomedicine. They have collected the latest research and molded it into a cohesive reference, closing the gap between macromolecular design and production of these gels/polymers and their possible applications. With the intensity of development in this area likely to increase, the foundation provided by this book can help you meet the challenges inherent in the development of new and better materials for new and better applications.

Macroporous Gels: A Theoretical Overview. Production of Macroporous Polymeric Materials by Phase Separation Polymerization. Production and Properties of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Cryogels. Production and Properties of Cryogels by Radical Polymerization. Cryogels from Carbohydrate Polymers. Macroporous Agarose Produced from Double Emulsions. Porous Polylactides and Polyalkonoates. Production of Macroporous Polymers using Foaming. Production of Macroporous Polymers using Leaching. Fast Responsive Macroporous Gels. Characterization of Macroporous Gels: Structure, Chemistry, and Physical Properties. Monolithic Macroporous Polymers as Chromatographic Matrices. Chromatographic Separation of Plasmid DNA using Macroporous Agarose-based Matrices. Cryogels as Matrices for Cell Separation and Cell Cultivation. Macroporous Gels for Isolation of Small Molecules From Crude Mixtures (Solutions Containing Suspended Material). Fundamentals of Growing Mammalian Cells in 3D Cultures: The Effect of Matrix Porosity. Production of Pharmaceuticals by Cultivation of Cells on Macroporous Polymeric Scaffolds. Macroporous Polymeric Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering: Recent Developments. Macroporous Polymeric Filters and Bioreactors for Biomedical Applications.