ZooTechWorksTM                                        (NatureWorksTM- The Next Regeneration)

Marine invertebrate skeletons have been an excellent source of unsurpassed structural frameworks for tissue engineering and tissue replacement, as prosthetic deputies. The pioneering work of Eugene White et al (1972) &  Chiroff (1975) invented possibilities for exploiting nature-based structures, with their superior design of porosity, geometry, symmetry, asymmetry and space-filling. They invented procedures that enabled complex structures and architectures in nature for reproduction into synthetic plastics and metals. Coral skeletons are the first and leading success for direct translation of natural structures into patients tissues, often with patient cells and stem cells. At team NatureWorks we are devising ways of further exploiting the utility of Coral skeletons (CoralWorksTM), marine sponges (SpongeWorksTM) and Diatoms (DiatomWorksTM) for more applications, beyond the structural, in regenerative medicine. For example, collagenous marine sponges have demonstrable biochemical properties that influence living stem cells and possess binding sites for cells. We have been successful in appropriating these structures for gene, protein and pharmaceutical drug delivery. Our biomimetic endeavours have also included the investigation of structural design in these skeletal frameworks to advance our knowledge on how to design better frameworks and materials for biomedical purposes. Direct use of natural biomatrices works in 4 main ways (1) exploitation of their biomimetic matrix components and structural biomaterials (2) Harness their novel bioactive compounds (3) Learn new ideas about structural design from high definition physical and chemical characterisation (4) use them to augment existing artificial frameworks. Appropriated natural frameworks bearing features and properties that are not easily built artificially are apt for augmentation with natural and artificial advantages and adaptations.