Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Biography: Professor Siriporn Damrongsakkul is a full professor in Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University. She is Chair of Biomedical Engineering Program, the multidisciplinary graduate program of Chulalongkorn University. Her work is in the fields of biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications, polymer blends and composites. She is also the leader of the pioneer research team on Thai silk fibroin for biomedical applications, exploring and focusing on Thai silk fibroin as a potential biomaterial for tissue engineering and drug delivery.

Speech Title: Thai Silk Fibroin: Steps toward Biomedical Applications
Abstract: Thai silkworm silk is widely recognized as one of outstanding textile products with essential impacts on the economy of the nation for several decades. It is remarkable by its unique yellow cocoon. For the past decade, we have investigated the potential of silk fibroin from native Thai silkworm race, Nangnoi Srisaket 1, as scaffolds in tissue engineering and carriers in drug delivery applications. Thai silk fibroin-based biomaterial systems have been being developed in various forms, for example, 3-D porous sponge, nanofiber and micro particle. Thai silk fibroin-based biomaterials can possess desirable properties such as a various range of biodegradability and mechanical integrity for specific applications such as bone substitute, degradable carriers for herbal active compounds for anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory. This suggests a substantial potential of Thai silk fibroin in a new era of biomedical applications.