Zenobi-Wong, Marcy, Dr.

Cartilage Engineering + Regeneration

Starting January 1, 2012 I will be starting an assistant professorship in the Department of Health, Science & Technology (D-HEST).

Research Interests

• Biomaterial development for cartilage tissue engineering
• Polyelectrolyte multilayers and novel glycans in cartilage engineering
• siRNA loaded nanoparticles for drug delivery in NeoTissues
• Mechanobiology of stem cell differentiation
• In situ electroporation (peptide, siRNA, plasmids)
• Guidance of neurite formation on patterned substrates
• Nerve engineering using tantalon microfibers
• In situ detection of mRNA in living cells using gold colloids

Current Collaborations and Funding

Novel 2D Patterned and 3D Multilayered Co-Culture Systems for Investigating Stem Cell Differentiation
Support: Swiss National Science Foundation
Dr. Katharina Maniura, Materials-Biology Interactions Group, EMPA-St. Gallen

Mastering sweet cell-instructive biosystems by copycat nano-interaction of cells with natural surfaces for biotechnological applications
Support: European Seventh Framework Programme
Prof. Rui Reis (Leading House), University of Minho

Incorporation of siRNA-loaded Nanoparticles into Multilayered Tissue
Support: Japan-Swiss Platform (submitted)
Collaborator: Prof. Michiya Matsusaki, Osaka University

Mechanotransduction Pathways in Chondrocytes
Support: Swiss National Science Foundation, Marie Heim-Vögtlin Foundation

The expression and function of mechano growth factor in cartilage and 3D chondrocyte culture
Support: AO Research Foundation
Prof. Geoffrey Goldspink

Tantalum Micro-Fibers for Soft Tissue Regeneration and Scaffolding
Dr. James Wong, Supercon Inc, Massachusetts

Education and Experience

PhD, Stanford University, 1990
Post-Doc, University of Michigan, 1991
Group Leader, University of Bern, 1992
Habilitation, University of Bern, 2000
Director MSc Biomedical Engineering, ETH-Zürich, 2003
Senior Scientist , Lab Biosensors and Bioelectronics, ETH-Zürich, 2008

Selected Publications

• Rottmar, M, Zenobi-Wong, M, Vogel, V, Maniura, K, The re-expression of the full chondrogenic phenotype requires cytoskeletal disruption and PI3K-, PKC-, ERK- and p38-MAPK signaling, but not round cell morphology, in preparation.

• Dahlin, AB, Dielacher, B, Rajendran, P, Sugihara, K, Zenobi-Wong, M, Vörös, J, A review of gold nanostructures for electrical and optical sensing, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, submitted.

• Schönenberger, C, Schütz, A, Franco-Obregon, A, Zenobi-Wong, M, Efficient electroporation of peptides into adherent cells: Investigating the role of mechano growth factor (MGF) in chondrocyte culture, Biotech Lett, 33:883, 2011.

• Mhanna, R, Vörös, J, Zenobi-Wong, M, Layer-by-Layer Films Made from Extracellular Matrix Macromolecules on Silicone Substrates, Biomacromolecules, 12: 609-616, 2011.

• Guillaume-Gentil, O, Gabi, M, Zenobi-Wong, M, Vörös, J, Electrochemically switchable platform for the micro-patterning and release of heterotypic cell sheets, Biomed Microdevices, 13:221-230, 2011.

• Guillaume-Gentil, O, Semenov, O, Sala Roca, A, Groth, T, Zahn, R, Vörös, J, Zenobi-Wong M, Engineering the extracellular environment, Advanced Mat, 22:5443-5462, 2010.

• Park, Y, Lutolf, M, Hubbell, JA, Hunziker, EB, Wong, M, Bovine primary chondrocyte culture in synthetic MMP-sensitive PEG-based hydrogels as a scaffold for cartilage repair, Tissue Eng, 10:515-522, 2004.

• Wong, M, Siegrist, M, Goodwin, K, Hydrostatic pressure and tension differentially regulate expression of cartilage matrix proteins and angiogenic factors in articular chondrocytes, Bone, 33:685-693, 2003.

• Wong, M, Carter, DR, Articular cartilage functional histomorphology and mechanobiology: A Research Perspective, Bone, 33:1-13, 2003.

• Giannoni, P, Siegrist, M, Hunziker, EB, Wong, M, The mechanosensitivity of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), Biorheology, 40:101-109, 2002.

• Wong, M, Gaschen, V, Siegrist, M, Graber, W, Studer, D. Collagen fibrillogenesis by chondrocytes in alginate, Tissue Eng, 8:979-988, 2002.

• DiSilvestro, MR, Zhu, Q, Wong, M, Jurvelin, JS, Suh, J-KF, Biphasic poroviscoelastic simulation of the unconfined compression of articular cartilage - II: Simultaneous prediction of reaction force and lateral displacement, J Biomech Eng, 123:191-197, 2001.

• Wong, M, Siegrist, M, Wang, X, Hunziker, EB, Development of mechanically stable alginate/chondrocyte constructs: Effects of guluronic acid content and matrix synthesis, J Orthop Res, 19:493-499, 2001.

• Wong, M, Wüthrich, P, Buschmann, M, Eggli, P, Hunziker, E, Chondrocyte biosynthesis correlates with local tissue strain in statically compressed adult articular cartilage, J Orthop Res. 15:189-196, 1997.

• Wong, M, Wüthrich, P, Eggli, P, Hunziker, E, Zone-specific cell biosynthetic activity in mature bovine articular cartilage: A new method using confocal microscopic stereology and quantitative autoradiography. J Orthop Res. 14:424-432, 1996.