This $240,412 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Program (CFDA 47.041) supports collaborative research at East Carolina University (ECU) to investigate how tension affects the digestion of blood clots. The research aims to test hypotheses about how inherent and applied tension on fibrin fibers impact the fibrinolysis process, which is essential for the proper dissolution of blood clots to prevent risks like strokes and heart attacks. The multidisciplinary project involves tensile testing, time-resolved microscopy, and mathematical modeling across ECU and two other institutions. This work will result in a combinatorial model to predict lytic outcomes based on mechanical forces, advancing the fundamental understanding of blood clot digestion and its clinical implications. In addition, the project will provide training for a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate student researchers, as well as develop educational materials on tension and blood clot digestion for elementary school students.
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