Yan Lin, PhD

Current Research Project

Over the past decade, in the search for novel scaffolding materials to support three-dimensional cell culture in the field of tissue engineering, significant experimental progress has been made in the development of RGD-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel systems, due to their excellent biocompatibility and easily adjustable bioactivity and scaffold architecture. While much has been learned about these biopolymers, hindered by the inherent complexity of highly cross-linked polymeric network and gelation process, a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cell adhesion behavior and how to control it is still lacking, which means that the design and fabrication of optimal biopolymers can only be approached by lengthy and costly experimental trial-and-error methods. In this perspective, we explore the molecular simulation methods to investigate the binding interaction between RGD-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels and lipid bilayer surface. The simulation findings will be compared to experimental observations to refine the simulation methods towards providing realistic and meaningful results. Ultimately, emerging knowledge of molecular simulation and increased understanding of cell/scaffold interactions will likely be applied in the future to guide the design of successful biopolymers to directly control cell binding interactions.

Presentations

• Vu, N., Kadar, S., Lin, Y., “Monitoring Polymerization Kinetics with IR and Raman Spectroscopy in Undergraduate Laboratory,” 251st American Chemical Society National Meeting, San Diego, CA, March 13-17, 2016
• Lin, Y., Chen, G., Ryvkin, F., “Molecular modeling of the binding interaction of RGD-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels with lipid bilayer surface,” 249th American Chemical Society National Meeting, Denver, CO, March 22-26, 2015
• Lin, Y., Gallucci, G.O., Bosshardt, D., Yelick, P.C., “Enhancement of titanium implants via bioengineered periodontal tissues”. 86th General Session & Exhibition of the IADR/CADR, Toronto, Canada, July 2-5, 2008

Publications

• Lin, Y., Gallucci, G.O., Busser, G.D., Bosshardt, D., Belser, U.C., Yelick, P.C., “Bioengineered periodontal tissue formed on titanium dental implants,” Journal of Dental Research, 90(2), 251-256 (2011)
• Lewis, C.L., Lin, Y., Yang, C., Manocchi, A.K., Yuet, K.P., Doyle, P.S., Yi, H., “Microfluidic fabrication of hydrogel microparticles containing functionalized viral nanotemplates”, Langmuir, 26(16), 13436-41 (2010)
• Lewis, C.L., Choi, C., Lin, Y., Lee, C., Yi, H., “Fabrication of uniform DNA-conjugated hydrogel microparticles via replica molding for facile nucleic acid hybridization assays”, Analytical Chemistry, 82(13), 5851-5858 (2010)
• Lin, Y., Yelick, P.C. “Dental and craniofacial tissue engineering”, Translational approaches in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, Artech House, Inc., Chapter 10, 181-194 (2008)
• Lin, Y., Yelick, P.C. “Dental tissue engineering”, Principles of Regenerative Medicine, Academic Press, 1286-1297 (2008)