Lab & biomaterials

Zirconium nanosheets for bone repair

A four-month bench study asking whether a zirconium nanomaterial is safe for bone cells, and whether it helps them build bone.

P-012025

Project: Cytotoxicity and osteogenic potential of a new nanomaterial
Context: MSc dissertation, University of Sheffield

4 monthshands-on lab testing

3final dose levels

14 daysper experimental run

69%dissertation grade

The question

Can zirconium nanosheets be added to bone-contacting materials without harming cells, and do they encourage bone formation?

What I did

Grew and maintained osteoblastic (bone-forming) cell cultures under aseptic conditions for the whole programme.
Measured cell viability with a Resazurin assay and bone-forming activity with an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, side by side, across a 14-day timepoint structure.
Refined doses and timepoints over many runs, arriving at three final doses (0.0055 to 0.022% w/v) tested against vehicle and hydroxyapatite controls, n = 3 per group.
Analysed the results with two-way ANOVA and Dunnett post-hoc tests.
Built an AI-assisted prompt and Excel workflow that normalised each day's raw readings automatically, so no day needed manual recalculation.
Fabricated a UV-crosslinked PCL scaffold containing the material, giving a porous, handleable composite.

What I found

Found a non-toxic dose window at days 10 and 14 where cells stayed viable and ALP activity increased: a clear, usable answer rather than a purely descriptive result. Presented at a University of Sheffield MSc poster symposium.