pArt of Science
As researchers, when we explore something, we are passionate about sharing it in a way that would be received more easily.
We write articles; we do presentations, and visual materials: photography, microscopy images, basic sketches, detailed illustrations, 3D models, are often the best narrators of our research.
Visual communication tools are powerful ways to grab the attention of the audience and enhance the memorability of the subject. Similarly, throughout my research, I needed visual materials to tell my story.
pArt of Science
As researchers, when we explore something, we are passionate about sharing it in a way that would be received more easily.
We write articles; we do presentations, and visual materials: photography, microscopy images, basic sketches, detailed illustrations, 3D models, are often the best narrators of our research.
Visual communication tools are powerful ways to grab the attention of the audience and enhance the memorability of the subject. Similarly, throughout my research, I needed visual materials to tell my story.
Research Interests
Tissue engineering, biomaterials,
additive manufacturing, emulsion templating,
polymer synthesis, porous materials,
decellularisation,
scientific and medical illustration
Quantitative Evaluation of the Pore and Window Sizes of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds on Scanning Electron Microscope Images Using Deep Learning
Ilayda Karaca, Betül Aldemir Dikici
ACS Omega, 2024
The morphological characteristics of tissue engineering scaffolds, such as pore and window diameters, are crucial, as they directly impact cell-material interactions, attachment, spreading, infiltration of the cells, degradation rate and the mechanical properties of the scaffolds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is one of the most commonly used techniques for characterizing the microarchitecture of tissue engineering scaffolds...
In Vivo Bone Regeneration Capacity of Multiscale Porous Polycaprolactone-Based High Internal Phase Emulsion (PolyHIPE) Scaffolds in a Rat Calvarial Defect Model
Betül Aldemir Dikici, Min-Chia Chen, Serkan Dikici, Hsien-Chung Chiu,Frederik Claeyssens
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2023
Globally, one of the most common tissue transplantation procedures is bone grafting. Lately, we have reported the development of polymerized high internal phase emulsions (PolyHIPEs) made of photocurable polycaprolactone (4PCLMA) and shown their potential to be used as bone tissue engineering scaffolds in vitro. However, it is essential to evaluate the in vivo performance of these scaffolds to investigate their potential in a clinically more relevant manner...
Synergistic effect of type and concentration of surfactant and diluting solvent on the morphology of emulsion templated matrices developed as tissue engineering scaffolds
Betül Aldemir Dikici, Serkan Dikici, Frederik Claeyssens
Reactive and Functional Polymers, 2022
Emulsion templating is an advantageous route for the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds. Emulsions are mostly stabilised using surfactants, and the performances of the surfactants depend on various parameters such as emulsification temperature and the presence of the electrolytes. In this study, we suggest that diluting solvent type also has a dramatic impact on the efficiency of the surfactant and morphology of the polymerised emulsions...
Thiolene- and Polycaprolactone Methacrylate-Based Polymerized High Internal Phase Emulsion (PolyHIPE) Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
Betül Aldemir Dikici, Atra Malayeri, Colin Sherborne, Serkan Dikici, Thomas Paterson, Lindsey Dew, Paul Hatton, Ilida Ortega Asencio, Sheila MacNeil, Caitlin Langford, Neil R. Cameron, and Frederik Claeyssens
Biomacromolecules, 2021
Highly porous emulsion templated polymers (PolyHIPEs) provide a number of potential advantages in the fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Porosity enables cell ingrowth and nutrient diffusion within, as well as waste removal from, the scaffold. The properties offered by emulsion templating alone include the provision of high interconnected porosity, and, in combination with additive manufacturing, the opportunity to introduce controlled multiscale porosity to...
Basic principles of emulsion templating and its use as an emerging manufacturing method of tissue engineering scaffolds
Betül Aldemir Dikici, Frederik Claeyssens
Frontiers Bioeng. Biotech., 2020
Tissue engineering (TE) aims to regenerate critical size defects, which cannot heal naturally, by using highly porous matrices called TE scaffolds made of biocompatible and biodegradable biomaterials. There are various manufacturing techniques commonly used to fabricate TE scaffolds. However, in most cases, they do not provide materials with a highly interconnected pore design. Thus, emulsion templating is a promising and convenient route for the fabrication of matrices with up to 99% porosity...
Boosting the osteogenic and angiogenic performance of multiscale porous polycaprolactone scaffolds by in vitro generated extracellular matrix decoration
Betül Aldemir Dikici, Gwendolen C. Reilly, and Frederik Claeyssens
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 12510-12524
Tissue engineering (TE)-based bone grafts are favorable alternatives to autografts and allografts. Both biochemical properties and the architectural features of TE scaffolds are crucial in their design process. Synthetic polymers are attractive biomaterials to be used in the manufacturing of TE scaffolds, due to various advantages, such as being relatively inexpensive, enabling precise reproducibility, possessing tunable mechanical/chemical properties, and ease of processing. However...
Emulsion templated scaffolds
manufactured from photocurable polycaprolactone
Betül Aldemir Dikici, Colin Sherborne, and Gwendolen C. Reilly et al.
Polymer 2019, 175, 243-254
Emulsion templating is an emerging route for the production of highly porous scaffolds (PolyHIPEs) with interconnected porosity. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is one of the most extensively used synthetic, bioresorbable polymer for scaffold materials for both hard and soft tissues. PolyHIPEs have previously been shown to be challenging to formulate from PCL due to the high viscosity of the polymer, which limits the efficient mixing of the two phases of the emulsion. Herein...
A novel bilayer polycaprolactone membrane for guided bone regeneration: combining electrospinning and emulsion templating
Betül Aldemir Dikici*, Serkan Dikici*, and Sheila MacNeil et al.
Materials (MDPI) 2019, 12(16), 2643 (*joint first authors)
Guided bone regeneration is a common dental implant treatment where a barrier membrane (BM) is used between epithelial tissue and bone or bone graft to prevent the invasion of the fast-proliferating epithelial cells into the defect site to be able to preserve a space for infiltration of slower-growing bone cells into the periodontal defect site. In this study...
Assessment of the angiogenic potential of 2-deoxy-D-ribose using a novel in vitro 3D dynamic model in comparison with established in vitro assays
Serkan Dikici*, Betül Aldemir Dikici*, and Shirin Issa Bhaloo et al.
Frontiers Bioeng. Biotech., 2020, 7 (*joint first authors)
Angiogenesis is a highly ordered physiological process regulated by the interaction of endothelial cells with an extensive variety of growth factors, extracellular matrix components and mechanical stimuli. One of the most important challenges in tissue engineering is the rapid neovascularization of constructs to ensure their survival after transplantation. To achieve this...
Landmarks in vaginal mesh development:
polypropylene mesh
for treatment of SUI and POP
Naşide Mangir, Betül Aldemir Dikici, and Christopher Chapple et al.
Nature Reviews Urology, 2019, 16, 675–689
Vaginal meshes used in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) have produced highly variable outcomes, causing life-changing complications in some patients while providing others with effective, minimally invasive treatments. The risk:benefit ratio when using vaginal meshes is a complex issue in which a combination of several factors, including...