Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026
09:38
A Microfluidic Flow Chamber Model for Platelet Transfusion and Hemostasis Measures Platelet Deposition and Fibrin Formation in Real-time
Published on: February 14, 2017
Blood-clotting-inspired reversible polymer-colloid composite assembly in flow
Hsieh Chen1, Mohammad A Fallah, Volker Huck
1Department of Material Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Nature Communications
|January 10, 2013
Summary
Inspired by blood clotting, scientists discovered that polymer-colloid composite assembly is enhanced by shear flow, allowing tailored aggregate formation. This flow-driven process is controllable, reversible, and offers new possibilities for material self-assembly.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biophysics
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Blood clotting forms a haemostatic plug, a bio-polymer-colloid composite, at injury sites.
- The initial phase of clot formation is driven by shear flow, with assembly enhanced under higher flow conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the universal process of polymer-colloid composite assembly in shear flow.
- To demonstrate tailored aggregate formation (loose, dense, log-type) through controlled shear conditions.
- To explore the controllable and reversible nature of flow-driven composite assembly.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation of polymer-colloid composite behavior under varying shear rates.
- Analysis of aggregate structures formed under different flow conditions.
- Characterization of the influence of polymer-colloid binding strength on assembly.
Main Results:
- Polymer-colloid composite assembly in shear flow is a universal phenomenon.
- Different aggregate types, including loose, dense, and log-type structures, can be controllably formed.
- The assembly process is reversible and primarily dependent on shear rate and binding potential.
Conclusions:
- Flow-driven assembly offers a controllable and reversible method for creating polymer-colloid composites.
- This research presents a new paradigm in non-equilibrium self-assembly with significant technological relevance.
- Understanding shear flow effects is crucial for designing advanced composite materials.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Coagulation
The coagulation phase is a critical part of the body's process to prevent blood loss following injury to blood vessels. It involves chemical reactions that form a clot to seal the injured area. The clotting process begins shortly after injury, within 15-20 seconds for severe damage and 1-2 minutes for minor injuries.
During the coagulation phase, clotting factors, or procoagulants, play a vital role in initiating and progressing the coagulation cascade. This cascade is a series of reactions...
During the coagulation phase, clotting factors, or procoagulants, play a vital role in initiating and progressing the coagulation cascade. This cascade is a series of reactions...
01:06Coagulation
Colloidal solids are solid particles suspended in solution. They are usually negatively charged, attracting a compact primary layer of positively charged ions, which attract more counterions to form an electrical double layer. Electrostatic repulsion between the charged double layers prevents the particles from colliding, stabilizing the colloids. These solids are often undesirable because they can contain toxins that are difficult to remove. Coagulation is a technique that helps aggregate and...
01:20Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis
Blood clotting or coagulation involves extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, which ultimately merge into the common pathway, forming a fibrin clot.
The Extrinsic Pathway
The extrinsic pathway of coagulation is typically initiated by tissue damage that exposes blood to tissue factor (TF), a protein released by the damaged tissue cells outside the blood vessels—this interaction with TF triggers biochemical reactions involving specific clotting factors. The key player here is Factor VII, which forms a...
The Extrinsic Pathway
The extrinsic pathway of coagulation is typically initiated by tissue damage that exposes blood to tissue factor (TF), a protein released by the damaged tissue cells outside the blood vessels—this interaction with TF triggers biochemical reactions involving specific clotting factors. The key player here is Factor VII, which forms a...
01:05Introduction to Hemostasis
Hemostasis is a complex physiological process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. It's crucial for maintaining the integrity of the circulatory system, as it ensures that our blood remains fluid while still within the vascular network and yet clots to prevent blood loss upon vessel injury.
The three phases of hemostasis involve many clotting factors present in plasma and several substances released by platelets and injured tissue cells. It is a fast, localized, and...
The three phases of hemostasis involve many clotting factors present in plasma and several substances released by platelets and injured tissue cells. It is a fast, localized, and...
01:22Formation of the Platelet Plug
The platelet phase, the second stage of hemostasis, commences around 15-20 seconds after an injury. It follows and overlaps with the vascular phase, during which blood vessels constrict to minimize blood loss.
As the injured blood vessel contracts, endothelial cells undergo contraction, revealing collagen fibers in the basement membrane and underlying connective tissue. Furthermore, the plasma membrane of endothelial cells becomes adhesive, preparing the site for platelet adhesion. Platelets...
As the injured blood vessel contracts, endothelial cells undergo contraction, revealing collagen fibers in the basement membrane and underlying connective tissue. Furthermore, the plasma membrane of endothelial cells becomes adhesive, preparing the site for platelet adhesion. Platelets...