PhD Michael Swain

 

Professor 2, Chalmers St, 8th floor, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Biomaterials Research Unit Research Group: Materials Science & Engineering (CSIRO)   Webpage: http://www.dentistry.usyd.edu.au/research/index.php#biomaterials Email: link Phone: 9351 8357

 

Current Research Activities

Research
Research at the Faculty
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To find out more about research activities across the faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Sciences and Nursing visit Research in Health@Usyd

The Research Office should be contacted for all administrative matters relating to research, including grant application deadlines, research student support, research ethics, USyd research polices, etc.

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Research at the Faculty of Dentistry
Members of the Faculty of Dentistry contribute to the development of new knowledge and understanding in the field of dentistry and there are exciting and innovative research projects actively pursued across the Faculty. The key research areas of the Faculty are:

•Institute of Dental Research
•Biomaterials Research Unit
•Jaw Function and Orofacial Pain Research Unit
•Cellular Molecular Pathology Research Unit
•Orthodontics
•Population Oral Health and Clinical Epidemiology
•Periodontics
•Learning and Teaching in Dentistry
Other areas of research to which the faculty contributes are:

•Tooth Conservation
Read on to find out more about these areas of research and the key researchers involved in these areas.

Faculty of Dentistry Research Committee Meeting Dates
25th March 2010
15th July 2010
4th November 2010

Human and Animal Ethics Committee and Biosafety Committee Meeting Dates
Animal Ethics USyd
Human Ethics USyd
Biosafety USyd and Westmead
Human Ethics Westmead

Institute of Dental Research
The Institute of Dental Research (IDR) is the oldest named dental institute in the world and is located within the Westmead Centre for Oral Health at Westmead Hospital. The IDR forms part of the Infection and Immunity branch of the Westmead Millennium Institute. Its research is focused on the analysis of polymicrobial populations within the oral cavity and their involvement in the major oral infections, dental caries and periodontal disease, which contribute a major social burden both in morbidity and cost. In keeping with its role as one of the leading dental research facilities in the Southern Hemisphere, researchers at the IDR are applying the latest advances in genomics and protein science to gain new insights into the study and control of these oral diseases and their complex aetiologies.

Current research initiatives include:


•Proteomics and structural genomics of oral pathogens
•Oral bacteria and infective endocarditis
•Polymicrobial aetiology of caries progression
•Targeted control of oral pathogens in periodontitis
•Determinants of oral infection in high-risk Aboriginal communities
•Role of oral bacteria in immune development in marsupials
Recent publications include:

•CD24 regulated gene expression and distribution of tight junction proteins is associated with altered barrier function in oral epithelial monolayers, BMC Cell Biology, 2009; 10(2), Online: doi:10.1186/1471-2121-10-2-(16 pages)
•Verification of a topology model of PorT as an integral outer-membrane protein in Porphyromonas gingivalis. Microbiology 2009; 155: 328-337
•Characterization of a novel calibration method for mineral density determination of dentine by x-ray micro-tomography. The Analyst 2009; 134: 72-79
•Identification and expression of a novel marsupial cathelicidin from the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 2009; 127(3-4): 269-276
•Interpain A, a Cysteine Proteinase from Prevotella intermedia, Inhibits Complement by Degrading Complement Factor C3. PLoS pathogens 2009; 5(2): 1 (paper e1000316)-14 (14 pages)
•Methods for optimizing DNA extraction before quantifying oral bacterial numbers by real-time PCR FEMS Microbiology Letters 2009; 296: 45-51
•Porphyrin-linked nitroimidazole antibiotics targeting Prophyromonas gingivalis. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2009; 7(Online: DOI: 10.1039/b904340c): 2855-2863
•Structure of N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase (GcnA) from the endocarditis pathogen Streptococcus gordonii and its complex with the mechanism-based inhibitor NAG-thiazoline. Journal of Molecular Biology 2008; 377: 104-116
•Interventions for prevention of otitis media may be most effective if implemented in the first weeks of life. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 2008; 72: 57-61
•Veillonella denticariosi sp. nov., isolated from human carious dentine. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 2008; 57: 2844-2848
Key researchers in this area are:

Professor Neil Hunter
Association Dean (Research) BDS, PhD, FRCPA
Key Interest: Oral Infections

Dr Ky-Anh Nguyen BDS(Hons), PhD
Key Interest: The maturation and secretion of gingipain proteases from the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis

Dr Derek Harty BSc(Hons), PhD
Key Interest: The pathogenicity of Streptococcus gordonii strains, with particular reference to infective endocarditis (IE) and their role as primary colonisers of the oral cavity

Dr Mangala Nadkarni BSc, MSc, PhD
Key Interests: Innovative approaches for analysis of microbial communities in carious teeth; Identification and characterisation of lysine-gingipain (kgp) biovars of oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis




Biomaterials Research Unit
This Research Unit is located at Sydney Dental Hospital and is involved in studies of Dental Restorative Materials, Biomaterials and Biomechanics as well as normal and diseased teeth. As caries still affect the majority of the population these materials and their properties are of critical importance for effective dental restorative treatment.

The research unit has a number of major focuses which include the following:


•Quantifying the spatial dependence of the micro-mechanical properties of teeth and the role of remnant proteins and peptides on their properties. This work also extends to hypoplastic enamel.
•Evaluating the influence of caries on the micromechanical properties of enamel and dentine. This also includes quantifying mineral densities through natural and caries lesions plus exploring options for remineralisation of carious teeth.
•Investigating the residual stresses associated with curing of composite resins and associated marginal failure.
•Advanced dental ceramics for restorative applications.
•Bone remodeling associated with dental restorative treatments including implants (with Engineering University of Sydney).
•Characterisation of adhesion of dental materials.
Recent publications include:

•Calculation of contraction stresses in dental composites by analysis of crack propagation in the matrix surrounding a cavity. Dental Materials 2009; 25: 543-550
•Dental implant induced bone remodelling and associated algorithms. Journal of the mechanical behaviour of biomedical materials, 2009; 2(5): 410-432
•Determination of bound and unbound water in dental alginate irreversible hydrocolloid by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Dental Materials, 2009; 25(4): 486-493
•Determination of viscoelastic-plastic material parameters of biomaterials by instrumented indentation. Journal of the Mechanical Behaviour of Biomedical Materials, 2009; 2: 318-325
•Effect of microstructure upon elastic behaviour of human tooth enamel. Journal of Biomechanics, 2009; 42(8): 1075-1080
•In vitro demineralization of human enamel natural and abraded surfaces: A micromechanical and SEM investigation. Journal of Dentistry, 2009; 37(4): 264-272
•Unstable cracking (chipping) of veneering porcelain on all-ceramic dental crowns and fixed partial dentures. Acta Biomaterialia, 2009; 5: 1668-1677
•Wear behaviour of dental enamel at the nanoscale with a sharp and blunt indenter tip. Wear, 2009; 266(1-2): 60-68
•Effect of low magnitude and high frequency mechanical stimuli on defects healing in cranial bone. Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 2008; 66: 1104-1111
•On the design of dental resin-based composites: A micromechanical approach. Acta Biomaterialia 2008; 4: 165-172