Predictive Modelling in the Fundamental Science of Medical Ceramics

Glass and ceramic materials are used in a wide array of applications, from screens on mobile devices, to the crowns used by dentists to repair teeth. More recently glass products have been used to repair bones, and treat cancers. However, the ability to specifically tailor and engineer glasses that can degrade at various time frames, from weeks, to months, to years, has long been a challenge in the natural sciences; even though conquering this challenge would open significant benefits in industrial and biomedical engineering. Interestingly, the glass systems that might provide for these features account for less than 2% of glass research worldwide. We propose to redress the balance. We will examine ways to modulate and predict the molecular architecture and physical chemistry of degradable glasses using unique glass compositions that have never previously been reported, nor catalogued, with any of the international agencies or journals. We will use statistical design methods to invent new glasses and ceramic systems, then we will probe their molecular structure and degradation behavior using state of the art techniques and mathematical modelling to build predictive models that will show other researchers how to design-in' a preferred rate of degradation to a particular material. We intend to achieve these variable rates of degradation by adding biologically important elements into the materials structure to modulate their molecular architecture, and as such, their degradation behavior. In addition, this approach will also enable us to investigate if the elements released from a glass, while degrading, can trigger physiological systems to self repair and regenerate.