Dallon, John; Neubert, Nathaniel; Evans, Emily (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Dallon, John (Brigham Young University, Mathematics); Evans, Emily Brigham Young University, Mathematics)
The organization of collagen fibers within the various connective tissues of the body plays an important role in the functionality of the organs they support. While the biochemical composition of collagen lattices is largely understood, it is difficult to study how the microstructural organization of collagen affects the macroscopic tissue properties. In this project we computationally stretch stochastically generated lattices consisting of nodes joined by spring like connections representing the fibers of a collagen lattice to examine how varied nodal connectivity, fiber length and fiber orientation affect the Young's Modulus of the lattice. This information will aid biologists in the production of synthetic lattices by providing a guideline of parameters that are most important to control in the creation of lattices with specific desired properties. This in turn will provide insights into bioengineering, wound care and other medical sciences.