Join the Chemical Applications Interest Group members to explore the latest developments in textile biomaterials research. Attendees will then have the opportunity to interact in a Q&A session to learn more about their research!
Revolution at the Core: Liquid-Filled Fibers for Smart Applications
Presented by Dr. Edith Perret, Scientist, Empa
Liquid-core filaments (LiCoFs) represent a bio-inspired materials strategy that leverages nature’s use of liquid-filled tubular architectures, such as insect wing veins, for multifunctional performance. Fabricated via a continuous melt-spinning process, LiCoFs consist of thermoplastic sheath polymers encapsulating liquid cores, enabling the integration of diverse functional liquids within mechanically robust fibers. Beyond medical use, the versatility of this approach opens pathways to technical applications including embedded sensors, soft-robotic actuators, and functional textiles such as insecticidal bed nets or systems with controlled substance release capabilities. The properties of LiCoFs can be tuned by adjusting the viscosity, interfacial tension, and composition of both core and sheath, allowing precise control over diffusion, transport, and mechanical response. In biomedical contexts, these same principles translate into opportunities for localized drug delivery, addressing long-standing limitations of conventional methods such as burst release, limited drug loading, and insufficient mechanical strength. Potential applications include surgical sutures, vascular grafts, stent coverings, and advanced implantable or wearable fabrics with localized therapeutic effects—ranging from antimicrobial to anti-inflammatory or anticoagulant activity. Overall, LiCoFs exemplify how bio-inspired liquid-core architectures can drive innovation across technical and medical domains, with particular promise for next-generation personalized drug delivery systems.
Smart and Structured: Engineering Fibrous Scaffolds for Theranostic and Regenerative Wound Care
Presented by Dr. Song Liu, Professor of Polymer Chemistry, University of Manitoba
Fibrous materials have become indispensable in biomedical engineering due to their tunable architecture, high surface area, and capacity for functionalization. This presentation explores the convergence of smart theranostic systems and advanced electrospun scaffolds in the context of wound healing and skin regeneration. I first introduce a theranostic wound dressing (TH-WD) that integrates real-time bacterial sensing with on-demand biocide release, addressing the limitations of conventional antibacterial dressings that promote resistance and impair healing. Through three novel infection-responsive mechanisms, this fiber-based system bridges diagnostics and therapy, offering a dynamic and targeted approach to wound management. Licensed to ParaNano Wound Care and currently in late-stage preclinical development, the TH-WD exemplifies the potential of responsive polymer chemistry in clinical translation. Complementing this, I present a composite electrospun scaffold engineered to mimic the epidermal microenvironment. Composed of polycaprolactone, collagen methacrylate, gelatin methacrylate, and chitosan, the scaffold combines mechanical integrity, cell-adhesive motifs, and intrinsic antibacterial properties. To overcome the limitations of small pore size and poor interconnectivity inherent to traditional electrospinning, a novel gas-foaming strategy was employed, transforming 2D membranes into 3D porous scaffolds conducive to keratinocyte infiltration and stratified epidermal formation. Structural optimization and cellular assays confirmed enhanced proliferation, migration, and multilayer development. Together, these innovations demonstrate how fiber-based platforms can be rationally designed to support both therapeutic function and tissue regeneration, paving the way for next-generation wound care technologies that are both intelligent and biologically integrative.
This is a free event for members! Interested in joining as a member? Learn more here.
Revolution at the Core – Dr. Edith Perret
Monday, December 15, 2025 | 10:30 AM
Dr. Edith Perret is a materials scientist with deep expertise in advanced fiber technologies and X-ray characterization techniques. Since 2018, Dr. Perret has served as a Scientist at Empa in St. Gallen, Switzerland, where she lead projects focused on high-performance industrial monofilaments and the development of liquid core fibers and polymer processing methods.
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Her work integrates cutting-edge fiber innovation with advanced analytical techniques, including X-ray analysis. Prior to joining Empa, Dr. Perret held a postdoctoral position at the University of Fribourg (2013–2018), where they investigated the physical properties of thin films and led experimental campaigns at major research facilities across the United States, Germany, and Switzerland. From 2011 to 2013, they conducted postdoctoral research at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, focusing on fuel cell cathode materials and in-situ X-ray studies of GaN growth via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Dr. Perret began her scientific career with a short-term collaboration at Empa in 2010, contributing to the analysis and publication of small-angle X-ray scattering data on bicomponent fibers. She earned their Ph.D. from ETH Zurich in 2010, conducting research at the Paul Scherrer Institute on the structure of molecular liquids under nanometer confinement. With a career spanning international research institutions and multidisciplinary projects, Dr. Perret brings a wealth of experience in materials science, fiber engineering, and advanced characterization methods.
Smart and Structured – Dr. Song Liu
Monday, December 15, 2025 | 10:30 AM
Dr. Song Liu is a Professor of Polymer Chemistry at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB, leading the Biomaterials Synthesis and Polymer Surface Engineering Laboratory. He earned his Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science from the University of California, Davis. Dr. Liu’s expertise spans polymer/organic chemistry, biomaterials, nanotechnology, and microbiology.
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His research leverages chemistry, polymer science & nanotechnology in novel ways to solve pressing biological challenges like infection control and responsive drug delivery. Dr. Liu’s pioneering work in developing new broad-spectrum biocides, rechargeable biocidal coatings, 3D-bioprinting of innovative skin substitutes and “smart” polymeric materials for responsive drug delivery and infection detection/treatment has garnered him over $3.5 million CAD in research funding as a Principal Investigator (PI), and an additional $6 million CAD as a Co-PI or collaborator from various granting agencies, including NSERC, CIHR, CFI, and Research Manitoba. Dr. Liu has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals such as Progress in Materials Science (impact factor (IF) 40.0) Advanced Functional Materials (IF 19.0), Carbohydrate Polymers (IF 12.5), Food Chemistry (IF 9.8), Advanced Healthcare Materials (IF 9.6), Acta Biomaterialia (IF 9.6), ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (IF 8.2), Progress in Surface Science (IF 7.2), Food Bioscience (If 5.9), Journal of Material Chemistry B (IF 5.7), and Nanoscale (IF 5.1). Dr. Liu’s research extends beyond academia, achieving successful translation into industry with four patent applications, six granted patents, and three licensing agreements. This impactful work has garnered him recognition, including the 2012 Rh Award in Interdisciplinary Studies (Winnipeg Rh Foundation) for his leadership in this field; the 2018 Merit Award for Research, Scholarly Work and Creative Activities (University of Manitoba); and the 2019 John Ogilvie Research Innovation Award (Canadian Society for Bioengineering CSBE/SCGAB). Dr. Liu’s dedication extends to teaching, as evidenced by these awards: the 2019 Outstanding Teacher Award (University of Manitoba, Students’ Teacher Recognition Program) and the 2021 Graduating Class Award for Excellence in Teaching (Price Faculty of Engineering, University of Manitoba).
Sabyasachi Gaan
Monday, December 15, 2025 | 10:30 AM
Sabyasachi Gaan received his PhD in chemistry from UC Davis in 2007. He has been working at Empa in Switzerland since 2007 and is currently head of the Additives and Chemistry group in the Laboratory of Advanced Fibers.
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His group specializes in the development of functional polymer and metal additives, synthesis and modification of sustainable thermoset and thermoplastic polymers, and recycling of polymers. He has been a member of AATCC since 2016, served on the AATCC Journal of Research Committee, and currently serves as the AATCC Chemical Applications Interest Group Chair.