Anand Ramasubramanian

Professor, Department Chair
San José State University
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

Platelets Storage and Clot Mechanics: A Chilling Story with a Gripping Sequel

Abstract

As blood clots, liquid blood transforms into a viscoelastic hydrogel composed of fibrin network enmeshing cellular and non-cellular components. Platelets play a critical role to ensure optimal clot strength necessary to stanch bleeding. In the first part of this talk, results on refrigeration of platelets as a viable alternative to the current practice of room temperature storage for transfusion will be presented. In the second part of the talk, results on the biophysical mechanisms by which platelets modify the mechanical properties of the clot, with particular attention to the role of factor XIII, will be presented.

Bio

Anand Ramasubramanian is Professor and Chair of Chemical and Materials Engineering at San José State University, San José, CA. His research interests are vascular mechanobiology, and high-throughput assay development for drug discovery applications.