Efforts to develop tissue-engineered skin for regenerative medicine have explored natural, synthetic, and hybrid HYDROGELs. The creation of a bilayer material, with the stratification exhibited by native skin, is a complex problem. The mechanically robust, waterproof epidermis presents the stratum corneum at the tissue/air interface, which confers many of these protective properties. In this work, we explore the effect of high temperatures on alginate HYDROGELs, which are widely employed for tissue engineering due to their excellent mechanical properties and cellular compatibility. In particular, we investigate the rapid dehydration of the HYDROGEL surface which occurs following local exposure to heated surfaces with temperatures in the range 100–200oC. We report the creation of a mechanically strengthened HYDROGEL surface, with improved puncture resistance and increased coefficient of friction, compared to an unheated surface. The use of a mechanical restraint during heating promoted differences in the rate of mass loss; the rate of temperature increase within the HYDROGEL, in the presence and absence of restraint, is simulated and discussed. It is hoped that the results will be of use in the development of processes suitable for preparing skin-like analogues; application areas could include wound healing and skin restoration.

To develop a biomaterial with high biocompatibility, one must take into consideration both bulk and surface properties of the material which is to be synthesized. In an attempt to produce a deposit resistant material, a group of copolymeric HYDROGELs, especially those of interest in contact lens industry, are synthesized and their resistance to protein spoliation is measured. Poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) known as poly(HEMA) has a number of limitations as a biomaterial, which is illustrated in its use as soft contact lenses where, even though it is found to be mechanically adequate, ocular incompatibility is observed leading ultimately to the formation of ""white spot deposits"" on the lens surface. HYDROGELs synthesized during this study are polyethylene oxide modified poly(HEMA) based gels. The amount of protein adsorbed on these HYDROGELs is calculated by measuring the UV absorbance against a blank of the same HYDROGEL. The cell culture studies are also examined by other members in the group and the amount of protein absorbed on each HYDROGEL is calculated.