Prof. Sally McArthur   IRIS Director

Sally joined Swinburne in September 2008 and has rapidly developed her Biointerface Engineering group within IRIS. A central theme for her group’s research revolves around the creation of biomimetic interfaces suitable for both fundamental science and biotechnology applications. We aim to couple our knowledge of materials, surface engineering, physical science, analytical chemistry and cell-surface interactions to create novel interfaces capable of reproducing physical and biological function.

In 2010, Sally will lead the development of the Biointerface Engineering Hub of the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) to be based at Swinburne University of Technology. The $700k hub will form an integral part of MCN, the Victorian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) providing facility access and support for researchers and industry who require surface engineering solutions for biomedical, environmental and energy related applications.

Sally’ research has two interlinked themes: Surface modification of materials to control biointerfacial interactions and the physicochemical characterisation of biointerfaces. The ability to control protein and cellular interactions is fundamental in the development of many new biomaterials and biomedical devices. These interactions are influenced by a variety of both specific (e.g. antibody/antigen) and non-specific interactions (e.g. van der Waals, electrostatic and steric forces). She has extensive experience in the surface modification of materials using plasma polymerisation, grafted polymers (polysaccharides, polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyelectrolytes and dendrons), self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and biomolecules. Her approach has been to manipulate the physicochemical properties of a surface and in turn, control protein and cellular interactions both in vitro and in vivo.

If we are to control biointerfacial interactions, we need to characterise the surfaces of materials and devices using both chemical and biological techniques. Through her research, Sally seeks to combine information garnered from a range of techniques to probe the chemical, physical and biological properties of surfaces. The combination of techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry and zeta potential measurement alongside a wide range biological assays and microscopies gives us enormous insight into the structure and biological behaviour of plasma polymers and sequentially grafted polymer systems and enabled surfaces to be engineered with specific interfacial properties.

Prior to returning to Australia in 2008, Sally spent 6 years in the Department of Engineering Materials at the University of Sheffield as a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Engineering. She was a Senior Research Fellow in the Bioengineering Department at the University of Washington, working with Professor David Castner and NESAC/Bio from 2000-2002 and received her PhD from the University of New South Wales in 2000 with a thesis entitled ‘Fouling characteristics of contact lenses: The role of surface modification and chemistry in controlling protein adsorption’. She graduated from Monash University with an M.Eng Sci in Biomedical Engineering (1998) and a B.Eng (Hons) in Materials Engineering (1996).

Awards

• Silver Medal by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3), 2006
• University of Sheffield Senate ’Rising Star’ Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in 2007.

Professional Activities and Affiliations

• Co-editor, Biointerphases Journal
• Editorial Advisory Board, Surface and Interface Analysis
• AVS Biomaterials Interface Division, Program Chair 2010
• EPSRC UK Peer College, 2006-09, 2010.

Sally has ongoing research collaborations with groups at Monash University (Assoc Prof James Friend), the University of Washington (Professor David Castner), University of Sheffield (Dr John Haycock and Prof Sheila MacNeil) and ETH Zurich (Dr Eric Reimhult).

Current Research Interests

• Surface modification methods for microfluidic devices.
• The role of surface chemistry in complement activation.
• Cell membrane mimetic surfaces
• Protein and cellular interactions with surfaces.
• Application of XPS and ToF-SIMS to biological systems

Supervision of higher degree by research (HDR) (Current students)

Name	Degree	Research Centre	Start year	Role
Adoracion Pegalajar Jurado	PhD	IRIS	2009	Primary Supervisor
Chiara Paviolo	PhD	IRIS	2010	Primary Supervisor
Liping Wang	PhD	IRIS	2010	Co-Supervisor
Gediminas Gervinskas	PhD	CMP	2010	Associate Supervisor
Mya Myintzu Hlaing	PhD	IRIS	2011	Primary Supervisor
William Brown	PhD	CAOUS	2011	Co-Supervisor

Topics for Prospective Ph.D Students - View ALL topics for Prof. Sally McArthur

Surface Modification of Microfluidic Devices and Bioarray Technologies
The project will also explore methods for using microfludic devices to develop and study complex surface and fluid phase protein-protein, protein-sugar and protein-cell interactions using fluid phase and surface gradients.

Creating robust cell membrane mimics: what role does the glycocalyx play?
A key question to be addressed within this project is: Does the introduction of a more biologically realistic glycocalyx influence protein and bilayer stability and enable membrane mimetic surface to be stored for extended periods in air prior to use? This information is critical if we are to engineer polymeric systems capable of reproducing cell membrane functions and cost effectively incorporate these coatings into mass produced devices.

In situ monitoring of plasma polymerisation
The focus of this project will be on developing novel techniques for chemically characterising the deposit as it forms. This may be achieved using a range of approaches, including IR and Raman spectroscopies.

Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) for Patterning Plasma Polymer Arrays
Plasma polymers are thin film coatings that can be applied to a variety of substrates to produce a wide range of chemical functionalities. We aim to explore the use of plasma polymers as substrates for a variety of different inks from polymer and biomolecules (proteins, lipids, sugars). By combining photolithography and DPN, we aim to develop new methods for multi-scale patterning of surfaces for biotechnology applications including cell culture, bioarrays and sensors.

Sonoporation for targeted drug delivery - experimental
The use of microbubbles for medical therapy is one of the most exciting new trends in microtechnology.
The demand is for further research to make the technology safe and suitable for human trials.
This project would study the physical processes by which sonoporation works.

Nanostructured surfacing for titanium alloys for biomedical applications
The present study will develop new nanostructured surface and surfacing techniques to improve the biocompatibility, bioactivity and osseointegration of Ti-based implant materials.

Cell membrane Mimics for Drug Evaluation and Testing
This project will construct novel artificial lipid membranes as a platform capable of reproducing the physical and biological interactions that occur at a cell surface.

Recent Publications

1. Mishra G, CD Easton, SL McArthur. “Physical vs. photolithographic patterning of plasma polymers: an investigation by ToF-SIMS and multivariate analysis.” Langmuir ASAP Dec 2009.
2. Colley HE, G Mishra, A Scutt, SL McArthur. (2009) “Evaluation of an acrylic acid coating of polydimethylsiloxane substrates for increased mesenchymal stem cell adhesion and growth.” Plasma Processes and Polymers 6(12):831-839
3. Marson A, DE Robinson, PN Brookes, B Mulloy, M Wiles, SJ Clark, HL Fielder, LJ Collison, SA Cain, CM Kielty, SL McArthur, DJ Buttle, RD Short, JD Whittle, AJ Day. (2009) “A sugar array for the investigation of glycosaminoglycan-protein interactions.” Glycobiology 19(12): 1537-1546.
4. Fowler GJS, G Mishra, C. Easton, SL McArthur. (2009) “ToF-SSIMS imaging of gallium-phosphoprotein micropatterns created using plasma polymers.” Polymer 50(21):5076-5083
5. Salim M, PC Wright, SL McArthur. (2009) “Studies of electroosmotic flow and the effects of protein adsorption in plasma polymerized microchannel surfaces.” Electrophoresis 30(11):1877-1887.
6. McArthur SL, GJS Fowler, G Mishra. “Surface Analysis of Biomolecules: Unravelling biointerfacial interactions.” J. Surf. Anal. Accepted September 2008
7. Charnley M, K Fairfull-Smith, PMJ Redon, S Haldar, R Elliott, SL McArthur, NH Williams JW Haycock. (2009) “Generation of bioactive materials with rapid self-assembling resorcinarene-peptides.” Advanced Materials. 21:1-7
8. Michel R, V Subramaniam, SL Mc Arthur, B Bondurant, DG D’Ambruoso, ME Brown, EE Ross, SS Saavedra, DG Castner. (2008) “Ultra-high vacuum surface analysis study of rhodopsin incorporation into supported lipid bilayers.” Langmuir 24(9): 4901-06
9. Tao S, D Norton, NJ Vickers, SL McArthur, S MacNeil, AJ Ryan, JW Haycock. (2008) “Development of a bioreactor for evaluating novel nerve conduits.” Biotechnol Bioeng. 99 (5): 1250-60.
10. Vickers NJ, SL McArthur, AG Shard and S McNeil (2008). “Ceric ammonium nitrate initiated grafting of PEG to plasma polymers for cell resistant surfaces.” Press Plasma Process. Poly. 5(2): 192-201
11. Pollock N, GJS Fowler, L Twyman, SL McArthur (2007). “Synthesis and characterization of immobilized PAMAM dendrons.” Chem. Commun. 24: 2482-2484
12. Salim M, G Mishra, B O'Sullivan , PC Wright, SL McArthur (2007). “Non-fouling microfluidic chip produced by radio frequency tetraglyme plasma deposition.” Lab. Chip. 7: 523 - 525
13. Salim M, B O’Sullivan, SL McArthur, PC Wright (2007). “Characterization of fibrinogen adsorption onto glass microcapillary surfaces by ELISA Lab.” Chip. 7: 64 - 70.
14. McArthur SL. (2006) “XPS in Bioengineering.” Surf. Interface Analysis. 38(11); 1380-1385.
15. Muir BW, McArthur SL, Thissen H, Simon GP, Griesser HJ and Castner DG (2006). “Effects of oxygen plasma treatment on the surface of bisphenol A polycarbonate: a study using SIMS, principal component analysis, ellipsometry, XPS and AFM nanoindentation.” Surf. Interface Analysis. 38(8): 1186-1197.