Dr Nicola Green (she/her)
PhD FRMS
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Senior Lecturer in Bioengineering
Biomedical engineering programme lead
n.h.green@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 3932
+44 114 222 3932
North Campus
Full contact details
Dr Nicola Green
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
North Campus
Broad Lane
Sheffield
S3 7HQ
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
North Campus
Broad Lane
Sheffield
S3 7HQ
- Profile
-
I am a Senior Lecturer in Bioengineering. I obtained my first degree In Biochemistry and Genetics from the University of Nottingham and my PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Kent. After my PhD I trained and worked as a science teacher before returning to the academic research environment. I worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, in the Laboratory of Biophysics and Surface Analysis, and as a Senior Scientist at Scancell, a Nottingham University biomedical spin-off company.
I joined the University of Sheffield 2006 as a postdoctoral researcher in biomaterials and tissue engineering and took charge of the Kroto Imaging Facility as Experimental Officer in 2010. I was appointed as Lecturer in Bioengineering in 2019 and Senior Lecturer in 2022.
- Qualifications
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1998 PhD – Biotechnology, University of Kent
1992 – BSc Hons Biochemistry and Genetics, Nottingham University
- Research interests
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My research aims to understand the interactions between biomaterials, cells and the environment that they are being cultured in. This allows me to use cells in the manufacturing process to create novel biomaterials containing both synthetic and biological components and leads to a better understanding of how materials will behave once they are implanted into the body to repair and replace damaged tissue. We also use this understanding to create better, more biologically relevant 3D models of specific tissues and diseases that can be used in the laboratory to improve the drug discovery pipeline and replace animal experiments.
Key research interests:
- Biohybrid scaffolds for tissue engineering: Scaffolds which incorporate biological components into synthetic scaffolds combine benefits from both and have significant clinical potential. This research seeks to optimise the composition and manufacture of these scaffolds to create tuneable scaffolds with enhanced cellular responses and reduced immunogenicity.
- Improved in vitro models: The development and use of in vitro 3D models for improved drug discovery and to more reliably model disease progression including cancer invasion and metastasis, wound healing, and the musculoskeletal system.
- Imaging of biomaterials and tissues: Development and application of non-invasive imagine techniques to better characterise biomaterials and the cellular response.
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Adipose tissue and adipose-derived stromal cells can reduce skin contraction in an in vitro tissue engineered full thickness skin model. Adipocyte, 14(1). View this article in WRRO
- An optical ratiometric approach using enantiopure luminescent metal complexes indicates changes in the average quadruplex DNA content as primary cells undergo multiple divisions. Dalton Transactions, 54(20), 8241-8250. View this article in WRRO
- Highly porous polycaprolactone microspheres for skeletal repair promote a mature bone cell phenotype in vitro.. Journal of Materials Chemistry B: Materials for biology and medicine, 12(45), 11746-11758. View this article in WRRO
- Inhibition and reversal of a TGF-β1 induced myofibroblast phenotype by adipose tissue-derived paracrine factors. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 15. View this article in WRRO
- The use of microphysiological systems to model metastatic cancer. Biofabrication, 16(3). View this article in WRRO
- Gelatin-containing porous polycaprolactone PolyHIPEs as substrates for 3D breast cancer cell culture and vascular infiltration. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11. View this article in WRRO
- Development of a tissue-engineered skin model with epidermal, dermal and hypodermal components. In vitro models, 2(6), 297-306. View this article in WRRO
- Surfactant-free gelatin-stabilised biodegradable polymerised high internal phase emulsions with macroporous structures. Frontiers in Chemistry, 11. View this article in WRRO
- Synthesis and characterisation of photocurable poly(glycerol sebacate)-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylates. Materials Today Advances, 19. View this article in WRRO
- Development of PCL polyHIPE substrates for 3D breast cancer cell culture. Bioengineering, 10(5). View this article in WRRO
- Elastomeric, bioadhesive and pH-responsive amphiphilic copolymers based on direct crosslinking of poly(glycerol sebacate)-co-polyethylene glycol. Biomaterials Science, 10(24), 7015-7031. View this article in WRRO
- Porous biomaterials for tissue engineering: a review. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 40, 8111-8165.
- Electrospun fiber alignment guides osteogenesis and matrix organization differentially in two different osteogenic cell types. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9. View this article in WRRO
- The importance of mimicking dermal-epidermal junction for skin tissue engineering : a review. Bioengineering, 8(11). View this article in WRRO
- In vitro low-fluence photodynamic therapy parameter screening using 3D tumor spheroids shows that fractionated light treatments enhance phototoxicity. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 7(11), 5078-5089.
- Identifying and mapping chemical bonding within phenolic resin using Secondary Electron Hyperspectral Imaging. Polymer Chemistry, 12(2), 177-182. View this article in WRRO
- Understanding surface modifications induced via argon plasma treatment through secondary electron hyperspectral imaging. Advanced Science, 8(4). View this article in WRRO
- Mitochondriotropic lanthanide nanorods : implications for multimodal imaging. Chemical Communications, 56(57), 7945-7948. View this article in WRRO
- Characterizing cross‐linking within polymeric biomaterials in the SEM by secondary electron hyperspectral imaging. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 41(3). View this article in WRRO
- Two photon excitable graphene quantum dots for structured illumination microscopy and imaging application: lysosome specificity and tissue-dependent imaging. Chemical Communications, 55(4), 521-524. View this article in WRRO
- Porous microspheres support mesenchymal progenitor cell ingrowth and stimulate angiogenesis. APL Bioengineering, 2(2). View this article in WRRO
- Measurement of friction-induced changes in pig aorta fibre organization by non-invasive imaging as a model for detecting the tissue response to endovascular catheters. Biotribology, 12, 24-32. View this article in WRRO
- Imaging cellular trafficking processes in real time using lysosome targeted up-conversion nanoparticles.. Chemical Communications, 53, 12672-12675.
- A new mode of contrast in biological second harmonic generation microscopy. Scientific Reports, 7. View this article in WRRO
- Oxygen mapping of melanoma spheroids using small molecule platinum probe and phosphorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Scientific Reports, 7. View this article in WRRO
- Poly(n-butyl Methacrylate) with Primary Amine End Groups for Supporting Cell Adhesion and Proliferation of Renal Epithelial Cells. International Journal of Polymeric Materials and Polymeric Biomaterials.
- Second Harmonic Generation microscopy reveals collagen fibres are more organised in the cervix of postmenopausal women. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 14. View this article in WRRO
- Creating a model of diseased artery damage and failure from healthy porcine aorta. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 60, 378-393. View this article in WRRO
- Production and Characterization of a Novel, Electrospun, Tri-Layer Polycaprolactone Membrane for the Segregated Co-Culture of Bone and Soft Tissue. Polymers, 8(6), 221-229. View this article in WRRO
- Developing repair materials for stress urinary incontinence to withstand dynamic distension. PLoS One, 11(3). View this article in WRRO
- Raman spectroscopy detects melanoma and the tissue surrounding melanoma using tissue-engineered melanoma models. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews, 51(4), 243-257. View this article in WRRO
- Emulsion Templated Scaffolds with Tunable Mechanical Properties for Bone Tissue Engineering. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. View this article in WRRO
- Thermoresponsive, stretchable, biodegradable and biocompatible poly(glycerol sebacate)-based polyurethane hydrogels. Polymer Chemistry, 6, 7974-7987. View this article in WRRO
- Production, Characterization and Potential Uses of a 3D Tissue-engineered Human Esophageal Mucosal Model. Journal of Visualized Experiments(99). View this article in WRRO
- Rocking media over ex vivo corneas improves this model and allows the study of the effect of proinflammatory cytokines on wound healing.. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 56(3), 1553-1561. View this article in WRRO
- Characterisation of the Physical Composition and Microbial Community Structure of Biofilms within a Model Full-Scale Drinking Water Distribution System.. PLoS ONE, 10(2). View this article in WRRO
- Pulsatile exposure to simulated reflux leads to changes in gene expression in a 3D model of oesophageal mucosa. International Journal of Experimental Pathology, 95(3), 216-228.
- Dinuclear ruthenium(II) complexes as two-photon, time-resolved emission microscopy probes for cellular DNA.. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 53(13), 3367-3371.
- Monitoring fibrous scaffold guidance of three-dimensional collagen organisation using minimally-invasive second harmonic generation.. PLoS One, 9(2), e89761.
- NF-κB is activated in oesophageal fibroblasts in response to a paracrine signal generated by acid-exposed primary oesophageal squamous cells.. Int J Exp Pathol, 92(5), 345-356.
- The development and characterization of an organotypic tissue-engineered human esophageal mucosal model.. Tissue Eng Part A, 16(3), 1053-1064.
Book chapters
- Fluorescence Microscopy, Optical Techniques in Regenerative Medicine (pp. 29-59).
- Fluorescence Microscopy In Morgan S, Rose FR & Matcher SJ (Ed.), Optical Techniques in Regenerative Medicine (pp. 29-59). Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis.
Conference proceedings
- Cost-Effective Bioreactor Housing: Material Optimization. 2025 17th Biomedical Engineering International Conference (BMEiCON) (pp 1-5), 15 July 2025 - 18 July 2025.
- Production of porous polycaprolactone polyHIPEs as substrates for in vitro 3D breast cancer cell culture. Tissue Engineering Part A, Vol. 29(13-14). Manchester, UK, 28 March 2023 - 28 March 2023. View this article in WRRO
- OPTIMISING THE FABRICATION, SURFACE TREATMENT AND MECHANICAL STIMULATION TO IMPROVE THE CELL PROLIFERATION AND COLLAGEN PRODUCTION FROM PRIMARY DERMAL FIBROBLASTS IN VITRO. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(11-12) (pp 1150-1151)
- MCSS SUPPORT A LAMELLA-LIKE TWISTING ORIENTATION OF COLLAGEN WHEN CULTURED ON ALIGNED ELECTROSPUN POLYCAPROLACTONE FIBRES. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(11-12) (pp 1586-1587)
- ELUCIDATION OF COLLAGEN FIBRE STRUCTURE IN OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA USING SECOND HARMONIC GENERATION IMAGING ON POLYCAPROLACTONE FIBRES. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(11-12) (pp 953-953)
- Development of an in vitro musculoskeletal model using poly (glycerol sebacate methacrylate) (PGSM) polyHIPE-based 3D microporous scaffold encompassing regionally controlled mechanical properties. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
- Developing Biodegradable Polymer Resins for Additive Manufacturing via a Novel Synthesis Method. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
- A digital reconstruction of the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) of the skin in three dimensions. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
- Development of an in vitro musculoskeletal model using poly (glycerol sebacate methacrylate) (PGSM) polyHIPE-based 3D microporous scaffold encompassing regionally controlled mechanical properties. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
- Development and characterisation of new bioelastomers based on poly(glycerol sebacate)-copolyethylene glycol for biomedical applications. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
- A digital reconstruction of the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) of the skin in three dimensions. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
- Abstract 2122: Visualization of collagen fibre structure in osteogenesis imperfecta using second harmonic generation imaging on polycaprolactone scaffold. Tissue Engineering Part A, Vol. 28(S1) (pp S601-S602). Maastricht, Netherlands, 15 November 2021 - 15 November 2021. View this article in WRRO
- THERE'S MORE TO FAT THAN STEM CELLS, CHARACTERISING FAT GRAFT MATERIALS TO UNDERSTAND THE REGENERATIVE PROPERTIES OF ADIPOSE TISSUES. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 28 (pp S544-S544)
- Design and development of a robotic bioreactor for in vitro tissue engineering. Proceedings of 2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2021) (pp 12428-12434). Xi’an, China, 30 May 2021 - 30 May 2021. View this article in WRRO
- Enhanced Collagen Production from Human Dermal Fibroblasts on Poly(glycerol sebacate)-methacrylate Scaffolds. 2018 11th Biomedical Engineering International Conference (BMEiCON) (pp 1-4), 21 November 2018 - 24 November 2018.
- Collagen and Mineral Deposition by MLO-A5 Late-Stage Osteoblasts, is Guided by the Fibre Alignment of Electrospun Scaffolds. Proceedings of the 22nd Congress of the European Society of Biomechanics, 10 July 2016 - 13 July 2016.
- Optical measurement of oxygen concentration in melanoma spheroid and skin engineered models. European Cells and Materials (ECM), Vol. Collection 5 (pp 8-8)
- The Use of Second-Harmonic-Generation (SHG) to Assess the Impact of Menopause on the Orientation of Collagen Fibres in the Human Cervix.. REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES, Vol. 23 (pp 214A-214A)
- Highly Porous Particles for Cell Recruitment and Delivery in Bone Tissue Engineering. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 21 (pp S287-S288)
- Barrett's Metaplasia: Exploiting a Tissue-engineered Model to Understand the Response of the Oesophageal Squamous Mucosa to Bile and Acid Exposure. JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Vol. 228 (pp S3-S3)
- Visualising and quantifying the matrix of drinking water biofilms. IWA Biofilms 2011. Shanghai, China, 27 October 2011 - 30 October 2011.
- Invasive behaviour of the OE33 oesophageal adenocarcinoma cell line is dependent on co-operation with fibroblasts.. JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Vol. 222 (pp S43-S43)
- Taurochenodeoxycholic acid activates NF-KB in oesophageal squamous cells without accompanying loss in cell viability. Journal of Pathology, Vol. 220(S1) (pp S11-S11)
- Adipose tissue and adipose-derived stromal cells can reduce skin contraction in an in vitro tissue engineered full thickness skin model. Adipocyte, 14(1). View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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PhD students
Main Supervisor
- Jeerawan Thanarak
- Meghna Suvarna
Co-supervisor
- Samuel Higginbotham
- Tugba Cebe
- Alice Hann
- Boyang Liu
- Abigail Smith
- Mina Aleemardani
- Jonathan Hinchliffe
- Caitlin Jackson
- Grants
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- Multi-materials additive manufacturing for musculoskeletal applications (principal investigator, Royal Society International Exchanges, £12,000)
- Reversing skin contraction in paediatric burns patients (co-investigator, Sheffield Hospitals Charity, £426,288)
- Transforming metalorganic frameworks promoted bone regeneration through secondary electron hyperspectral imaging (co-investigator, Newton Mobility Grant, £11,930)
- Teaching interests
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I believe that students learn best through exercises and activities that require them to use and apply their knowledge, rather than simply memorise, and with colleagues have developed a strong Biomedical Engineering programme that I believe allows this to happen.
I am also committed to research-led teaching and the use of a range of teaching methods and assessment techniques to ensure all students can achieve their best. I have also worked to embed the development of employability skills and opportunities throughout the programme.
- Teaching activities
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I am the programme lead for Biomedical Engineering.
I contribute to learning and teaching within the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering. I teach on modules based on my research interests including Biomaterials I (first year), Biomaterials II (module lead, second year), Biology and Chemistry of Living Systems (module lead, second year), Bioimaging (module lead, fourth year/MSc module)
I am also the module lead and teach on Introduction to Biomedical Engineering (year 1) and Advanced Biomedical Engineering Topics (year 2), two courses taken by Biomedical engineering students which demonstrate the breadth of the Biomedical engineering field and introduce students to key technical, practical and professional skills within Biomedical engineering.
Finally I am a mentor on the year 4 module - Preparation for Practice
- Professional activities and memberships
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I am a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society, and a member of the Tissue and Cell Engineering Society, and the BioMedEng Association, where I am also part of the Education and Outreach committee