Přehled

Hydrogels still represent an attractive material in the formulating systems for the controlled release of biologically active substances. These are applied not only in medicine or food engineering but also, for example, in agriculture. Despite of the huge number of experimental works and of the knowledge of theoretical background of the release, the design and development of controlled delivery systems is still more matter of trial and error than of rational design rules. Even the very controlled release in real applications is not covered by clear procedures. The thesis will thus focus on the generalization of published knowledge on the controlled release from hydrogel matrices, supported by student’s experimental work and modelling the release in particular with regard to in vivo conditions. Following the initial literature search partial tasks will be formulated including (all or selected) issues like: laboratory test studies of the release, influence of their parameters on the results, rational standardization of experimental protocols; diffusivity of the selected (model) drug as a function of the hydrogel or gelator concentration; transport and interaction of the selected (model) drug in different hydrogel systems, relation to problems observed in real applications; influence of conditions found in real environments (e.g., pH, temperature); modelling of drug release profiles with experimentally determined parameters and with regard to release and transport in real matrices (tissues). The thesis will result in suggestion of a set of rational rules to select a suitable hydrogel for the encapsulation and controlled release of a given molecule in a particular environment.

Tutor prof. Ing. Miloslav Pekař, CSc.
Deadline: 30. 4. 2023
Application and contacts: https://www.fch.vut.cz/uchazeci/prijimacky/d