Two different kinds of collagen assembly have been studied: the reconstitution of type I collagen to fibrils and the formation of 2D networks on surfaces. The kinetics of fibril assembly are influenced by polyaspartate, as measured turbidimetrically. Addition of polyaspartate increases the fibril diameter. The reconstituted fibrils are imaged by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The preparation of thin collagen films on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite leads to networks or tree like structures depending on the collagen concentration in the precursor. The results presented are of interest for the development of new bone-like implant materials and the covering of bone grafts with a biocompatible layer.

Date Published: 26 April 1996
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 2779, 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Materials and 3rd European Conference on Smart Structures and Materials, (26 April 1996); doi: 10.1117/12.237045

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2779:
3rd International Conference on Intelligent Materials and 3rd European Conference on Smart Structures and Materials
Pierre Francois Gobin; Jacques Tatibouet, Editor(s)