Support is requested for the participation of American speakers (2) and graduate students (6) and contribution towards the publication of the proceedings of the 2001 International Symposium on Biphasic Phosphate Biomaterials. This international symposium will be held on June 30 and July 1 2001 at the Faculte Chirurgie Dentaire, Nantes University in Nantes, Frances. The focus of this symposium will be on Biphasic Calcium Phosphate Biomaterials for Medical and Dental Applications."""""""" Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) biomaterials consist of mixtures of hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (b-TCP). BCP is commercially available in Europe, Japan and in South America as a bone substitute material. The biodegradation and bioactivity of BCP can be controlled by varying the HA/b-TCP ratios of the bioceramic, as demonstrated by the pioneering studies of the applicants. Symposium topics will include: preparation and properties of BCP biomaterials (in the form of granules, macroporous block, injectible system); potential clinical applications dentistry and medicine (which includes, alveolar bone repair, pulp-capping, ridge augmentation, anophthalmic reconstruction, orthopedic lesions, spine fusion, etc); and studies on potential applications for drug and hormone delivery and tissue engineering. The symposium will bring together multidisciplinary basic scientists from academia and industry (chemists, physicists, engineers, materials scientist, cell biologists, bone biologists, molecular biologists): clinicians (dentists, orthopedists, surgeons); and graduate students in biomaterials science and engineering. This symposium will provide a forum for interaction and exchange of ideas and potential research partnerships and international research collaborations in the area of biomaterials, biomimetics and tissue engineering. The participating students will be exposed to the new exciting sciences and knowledge helpful for future post-doctoral training and/or international research partnership and training in the very important field of biomaterials for dental and medical applications.
