The Taite Lab utilizes biomimetic water-swollen, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels as scaffolds that support the growth of cardiovascular cells in 3D. These synthetic scaffolds serve as a synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM) that we can tailor to present cell adhesion ligands, growth factors, and mechanics that mimic the in vivo microenvironment. 

Our tunable PEGDA hydrogel culture systems allows us to design synthetic matrices that replicate the unique biomechanical and biochemical signals required for tissue development and disease progression, providing the opportunity to study the physiological processes that guide normal and dysfunctional tissue formation. 

The Taite Lab is also interested in the design and synthesis of novel bioactive polymers for both tissue engineering and controlled cell and drug delivery applications. Our focus is biocompatible polymers designed to be cell- or stimuli-instructive and respond to their local environments to catalyze specific biological responses .