Dr David Alexander Gregory

PhD, MSc, BSc, BSc, FHEA

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Postdoctoral Research Associate

d.a.gregory@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7562

Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr David Alexander Gregory
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD

Profile

David currently works as senior postdoctoral research associate to Professor Ipsita Roy in the department of Material Science and Engineering. Here his work is focused on the production and characterisation of Polyhydroxyalkanoates via bacterial fermentation and the processing of these biopolymers by methods such as 3D printing and solvent casting for biomedical applications.

He is currently employed on Professor Roy’s 3D BIONET grant which involves the development of a 3D cardiac tissue model and includes mathematical modelling in collaboration with the University of Oxford and Imperial College London.

Having completed undergraduate degrees in Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology at Lancaster University and Biochemistry and Music at Keele University David went on to study a Masters in Bionanotechnology run jointly between the University of Sheffield and Leeds University. He then joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering for his PhD on catalytic micromotors, under the supervision of Dr Ebbens, which he completed in 2016. During this time, he was key in the development of Reactive Inkjet Printing (RIJ) and enzyme powered silk microrockets which gained considerable media interest and resulted in several high-quality publications. Thereafter, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate with Dr Zhao on RIJ of silk materials and also designed, built and developed the software for two different Reactive Inkjet printers.

Additionally, during his undergraduate degrees and whilst waiting for his PhD to start David spent several occasions working in the pharmaceutical industry in various departments including, Chemistry, Enzymology, and Drug formulation development.

David’s work in the fields of micromotors and Reactive Inkjet Printing has attracted media attention and has consequently resulted in him being invited to speak at several international conferences.

Qualifications

PhD: “Catalytic Micromotors” (2016); Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, University of Sheffield, England
MSc in Bionanotechnology (2011); University of Sheffield and Leeds University, England
BSc (Dual Honours) in Biochemistry and Music (2010); Keele University, England
BSc (Honours) in Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology (2007); Lancaster University, England

Teaching Certificates:

Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (FHEA) (2019)

Research interests

David is interested in Additive manufacturing with particular interests in Reactive Inkjet printing and 3D tissue scaffolds.

He is also interested in self-motile micromotors / active colloids.

Publications

Journal articles

Sun W, Gregory DA & Zhao X (2023) Designed peptide amphiphiles as scaffolds for tissue engineering. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 314, 102866-102866.
Gregory DA, Fricker ATR, Mitrev P, Ray M, Asare E, Sim D, Larpnimitchai S, Zhang Z, Ma J, Tetali SSV & Roy I (2023) Additive manufacturing of polyhydroxyalkanoate-based blends using fused deposition modelling for the development of biomedical devices. Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 14(1).
Kumar P, Legge A, Gregory DA, Nichols A, Jensen H, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2022) 3D printable self-propelling sensors for the assessment of water quality via surface tension. JCIS Open, 5, 100044-100044.
Gregory DA, Taylor CS, Fricker ATR, Asare E, Tetali SSV, Haycock JW & Roy I (2022) Polyhydroxyalkanoates and their advances for biomedical applications. Trends in Molecular Medicine.
Gregory DA, Tripathi L, Fricker ATR, Asare E, Orlando I, Raghavendran V & Roy I (2021) Bacterial cellulose: A smart biomaterial with diverse applications. Materials Science and Engineering R Reports, 145, 100623.
Sun W, Taylor CS, Zhang Y, Gregory DA, Anas Tomeh M, Haycock JW, Smith PJ, Wang F, Xia Q & Zhao X (2021) Cell Guidance on Peptide Micropatterned Silk Fibroin Scaffolds. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science.
Owji N, Mandakhbayar N, Gregory DA, Marcello E, Kim HW, Roy I & Knowles JC (2021) Mussel inspired chemistry and bacteria derived polymers for oral mucosal adhesion and drug delivery. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9. View this article in WRRO
Sun W, Gregory DA, Tomeh MA & Zhao X (2021) Silk Fibroin as a Functional Biomaterial for Tissue Engineering.. Int J Mol Sci, 22(3).
Sun W, Zhang Y, Gregory DA, Jimenez-Franco A, Tomeh MA, Lv S, Wang J, Haycock JW, Lu JR & Zhao X (2020) Patterning the neuronal cells via inkjet printing of self-assembled peptides on silk scaffolds. Progress in Natural Science: Materials International.
Majid QA, Fricker ATR, Gregory DA, Davidenko N, Hernandez Cruz O, Jabbour RJ, Owen TJ, Basnett P, Lukasiewicz B, Stevens M , Best S et al (2020) Natural biomaterials for cardiac tissue engineering: a highly biocompatible solution. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 7. View this article in WRRO
Gregory DA, Kumar P, Jimenez-Franco A, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2019) Reactive inkjet printing and propulsion analysis of silk-based self-propelled micro-stirrers. Journal of Visualized Experiments(146). View this article in WRRO
Zhang Y, Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Smith PJ, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2019) Reactive Inkjet Printing of Functional Silk Stirrers for Enhanced Mixing and Sensing. Small, 15(1), 1804213-1804213. View this article in WRRO
Song W, Gregory DA, Al-janabi H, Muthana M, Cai Z & Zhao X (2019) Magnetic-silk/polyethyleneimine core-shell nanoparticles for targeted gene delivery into human breast cancer cells. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 555, 322-336. View this article in WRRO
Song W, Su X, Gregory DA, Li W, Cai Z & Zhao X (2018) Magnetic alginate/chitosan nanoparticles for targeted delivery of curcumin into human breast cancer cells. Nanomaterials, 8(11). View this article in WRRO
Ebbens SJ & Gregory DA (2018) Catalytic Janus Colloids: Controlling Trajectories of Chemical Microswimmers. Accounts of Chemical Research, 51(9), 1931-1939.
Gregory DA & Ebbens SJ (2018) Symmetrical Catalytically Active Colloids Collectively Induce Convective Flow. Langmuir, 34(14), 4307-4313. View this article in WRRO
Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Smith PJ, Zhao X & Ebbens SJ (2016) Reactive Inkjet Printing of Biocompatible Enzyme Powered Silk Micro-Rockets. Small, 12(30), 4048-4055. View this article in WRRO
Gregory DA, Campbell AI & Ebbens SJ (2015) Effect of Catalyst Distribution on Spherical Bubble Swimmer Trajectories. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 119(27), 15339-15348. View this article in WRRO
Ebbens SJ, Gregory DA, Dunderdale G, Howse JR, Ibrahim Y, Liverpool TB & Golestanian R (2014) Electrokinetic effects in catalytic platinum-insulator Janus swimmers. EPL, 106.
Gregory DA, Nicks J, Artigas‐Arnaudas J, Harris MS, Foster JA & Smith PJ () Controlling the Composition and Position of Metal–Organic Frameworks via Reactive Inkjet Printing. Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2300027-2300027.
Taylor CS, Behbehani M, Glen A, Basnett P, Gregory DA, Lukasiewicz BB, Nigmatullin R, Claeyssens F, Roy I & Haycock JW () Aligned Polyhydroxyalkanoate Blend Electrospun Fibers as Intraluminal Guidance Scaffolds for Peripheral Nerve Repair. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.
Gregory DA, Kumar P, Jimenez-Franco A, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X () Reactive Inkjet Printing and Propulsion Analysis of Silk-based Self-propelled Micro-stirrers. Journal of Visualized Experiments(146).
Kirvin A, Gregory D, Parnell A, Campbell AI & Ebbens S () Rotating ellipsoidal catalytic micro-swimmers via glancing angle evaporation. Materials Advances.

Chapters

Asare E, Gregory DA, Fricker A, Marcello E, Paxinou A, Taylor CS, Haycock JW & Roy I (2020) Polyhydroxyalkanoates, Their Processing and Biomedical Applications, The Handbook of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (pp. 255-284). CRC Press
Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2017) CHAPTER 8. Reactive Inkjet Printing of Regenerated Silk Fibroin as a 3D Scaffold for Autonomous Swimming Devices (Micro-rockets), Reactive Inkjet Printing (pp. 169-201). Royal Society of Chemistry
Ebbens S, Howse J, Archer R, Gregory D, Campbell A & Dunderdale G (2017) Soft, Hard, and Hybrid Janus Structures: Synthesis, Self-Assembly, and Applications — Catalytic Janus Swimmers, Soft, Hard, and Hybrid Janus Structures (pp. 315-403). WORLD SCIENTIFIC (EUROPE)

Conference proceedings papers

Fricker ATR, Gregory DA, Harding S & Roy I (2022) TISSUE ENGINEERED CARDIAC PATCHES FOR THE TREATMENT OF POST-MI HEART FAILURE USING NATURAL POLYMERS AND HUMAN IPSC-DERIVED CELLS. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 28 (pp S260-S261)
Asare E, Taylor CS, Gregory DA, Haycock JW & Roy I (2022) A NEXT GENERATION BIO-INSPIRED DEVICE FOR EFFECTIVE PERIPHERAL NERVE REGENERATION. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 28 (pp S293-S294)
Gregory DA, Fricker A, Asare E & Roy I (2022) 3D PRINTING OF POLYHYDROXYALKANOATES FOR CELL CULTURE AND TISSUE REPAIR APPLICATIONS. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 28 (pp S94-S94)
Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Smith PJ, Ebbens SJ & Zhao X (2016) Altering the Bubble Release of Reactive Inkjet Printed Silk Micro-rockets. International Conference on Digital Printing Technologies, Vol. 2016 (pp 452-456), 12 September 2016 - 12 September 2016. View this article in WRRO
Zhang Y, Gregory DA, Smith PJ & Zhao X (2016) Regenerated silk fibroin as an inkjet printable biomaterial. International Conference on Digital Printing Technologies, Vol. 2016 (pp 406-409), 12 September 2016 - 16 September 2016. View this article in WRRO

Other

Gregory DA, Zhang Y, Smith PJ, Zhao X & Ebbens SJ (2016) Reactive Inkjet Printing: Reactive Inkjet Printing of Biocompatible Enzyme Powered Silk Micro-Rockets (Small 30/2016). Small, 12(30), 4022-4022.

Preprints

Ebbens S, Gregory DA, Dunderdale G, Howse JR, Ibrahim Y, Liverpool TB & Golestanian R (2013) Electrokinetic Effects in Catalytic Pt-Insulator Janus Swimmers, arXiv.
Song W, Su X, Gregory D, Li W, Cai Z & Zhao X () Magnetic Alginate / Chitosan Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery of Curcumin into Human Breast Cancer Cells, MDPI AG.

Research group: I am currently the senior postdoctoral research associate to Professor Ipsita Roy.

Grants

3D BIONET grant: working on the development of Polyhydroxyalkanoates-based 3D Printed tissue repair patches for cardiac tissue applications.

Previous summer project grants and students include:

Ajay Chandel [SURE project]
Ella Cliff [SURF project]
Mobarakshah Assadi [SURF project]

Teaching activities

Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing
Reactive Inkjet Printing
Biomaterials
Tissue Engineering
Active colloids / micromotors
Drug delivery
Biosensors
Bioelectronics

Currently teaching on:

BIE103 - Introduction to Bioengineering

Professional activities and memberships

Journal peer reviewer:

Langmuir
Int. J. Nanotech. & Nanomed. Res.
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
MDPI

Awards:

2016 Best poster E-MRS (Symposium: Adv. Materials for Printing) May 2016, Lille (France)
2014 PixeLink SDK camera software sponsored by PixeLink®
2013 PGR conference Sheffield University First Prize for best Poster
2012 Three year PhD EPSRC Stipend at Sheffield University (2012-2015)
2011 One year MSc Studentship at Sheffield University (2010-2011)

Media

Much media interest was gained from my Silk Rocket Micromotor paper in Small in 2016: