EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/E015549/1
Title: HIGH FREQUENCY ACOUSTIC CHARACTERIZATION OF AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF TISSUE
Principal Investigator: Derby, Professor B
Other Investigators:
Watson, Professor REB Mummery, Professor P Sherratt, Professor M
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Materials
Organisation: University of Manchester, The
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 01 January 2007 Ends: 30 June 2008 Value (£): 164,702
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Acoustics Development (Biosciences)
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Elastic fibres play a key role in normal tissue function, and age-related degenerative alterations in their biomechanical properties severely affect dynamic functions of the cardiovascular system, lungs and skin. This study aims to provide important information on the effects of ageing on the properties of tissue by bridging the gap between known mechanical changes at the whole tissue and molecular levels. This will be achieved through developing acoustic methods for characterising the mechanical properties of soft tissue. By using high frequency acoustic microscopy in the frequency range of 100 MHz - 1 GHz we will obtain spatially resolved maps of mechanical properties in thin histological sections with a spatial resolution in the x y plane of around 1 micron. This information will then be correlated with changes in the properties of elastic fibres extracted from tissue and combined with conventional biochemical, ultrastructural and proteomic approaches, to shed light on the causative mechanisms of elastic fibre ageing.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.man.ac.uk