Group for Anodized Therapies for Osseointegration, Regeneration and Stimulation (GATORs)
Vision
Our vision is to revolutionize dental implant technology by creating the next generation of implants capable of providing maximum local therapeutic action with selective bioactivity to drastically reduce implant failures.
Research focus
Our research focusses on nano-engineering of dental implants to enable local drug release and enhanced bioactivity, targeting dental implant failure, especially associated with ongoing conditions (osteoporosis, diabetes, aged patients and smokers). Electrochemical anodization is used to impart controlled nanotopography to conventional dental implants to augment osseo- and soft-tissue integration, and achieve immunomodulation and antibacterial functions, via tailored local therapies. The technology translates well into all metal implants (Ti, Zr, alloys, etc.) and orthopaedic implants.
Dr Gulati’s GATORs group aligns well with the vision of COR3 group: novel dental solutions towards regeneration, reconstruction and rehabilitation. The technologies and strategies employed in GATORs group are cost-effective and scalable, ensuring clinical translation.
Research grants
- ITI-International Team for Implantology Research Grant (2021)
- NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (2018-21)
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021-22)
- Erasmus+ Scholarships for Staff Mobility for Teaching (Germany) (2021-22)
- Australian Dental Research Foundation (ADRF) Research Grants (2021-22)
- Australian Periodontology Research Foundation (APRF) Research Grant (2021)
- ITI-International Team for Implantology Research Grant (2019)
News and media engagement
Cover Story: New research by Dr Karan Gulati may lead to a solution to the problem of implant failure. September 2020.
Advanced nanotechnology used to improve success of dental implants (2020)
UQ HABS Media Inclusion (2020): UQ’s advanced nanotechnology to improve success of dental implants.
UQ HABS Research Week inclusion
Media Engagement. Griffith University. Nano-engineered dental implants set to reduce costs and infection risks.
Media Engagement. Channel 9 News Gold Coast. The costly complications of dental implants could soon be a thing of the past. Gold Coast researchers are pioneering a ground-breaking solution to stop infections taking hold.
Recent outputs (since 2021)
Books
- K. Gulati. Nano-Engineering Solutions for Dental Implant Applications. MDPI 2022. ISBN 978-3-0365-3144-1 (Hbk); ISBN 978-3-0365-3145-8 (PDF). This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Nano-Engineering Solutions for Dental Implant Applications that was published in Nanomaterials
https://www.mdpi.com/books/pdfview/book/5006
https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-3145-8
- S. Ivanovski, K. Gulati and A. Abdal-hay. Novel Nano-Engineered Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering. ISBN 978-3-0365-3349-0 (Hbk); ISBN 978-3-0365-3350-6 (PDF). This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Novel Nano-Engineered Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering that was published in Nanomaterials
https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-3350-6
Book Chapters
- K. Gulati. ‘Electrochemically Nano-Engineered Titanium Implants towards Local Drug Delivery Applications’ in book Advanced Porous Biomaterials for Drug Delivery Applications. 2022, ed. by M. Kurkuri, D. Losic, Uthappa, Ho-Young-Jung. CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group).
- K. Gulati. ‘Supramolecular Surface Modifications of Titanium Implants’ in book Supramolecular Chemistry in Corrosion and Biofouling Protection. 2021, ed. by V.S. Saji. CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group).
https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003169130-28
Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications
(Since 2021: 21)
- A. Jayasree, N.T. Raveendran, T. Guo, S. Ivanovski, and K. Gulati*. Electrochemically Nano-Engineered Titanium: Influence of Dual Micro-Nanotopography of Anisotropic Nanopores on Bioactivity and Antimicrobial Activity. Mater Today Adv. 2022, 15, 100256. [IF 7.579]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtadv.2022.100256
- K. Gulati*, R.D.O. Martinez, M. Czerwiński and M. Michalska-Domańska*. Understanding the Influence of Electrolyte Aging in Electrochemical Anodization of Titanium. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science 2022, 302, 102615 [IF 12.984]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2022.102615
- K. Gulati. Nano-Engineering Solutions for Dental Implant Applications. Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 272 [IF 5.076]. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12020272
- K. Gulati*, A. Abdal-hay* and S. Ivanovski*. Novel Nano-Engineered Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering. Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 333 [IF 5.076]. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12030333
- T. Guo, S. Ivanovski*, and K. Gulati*. Fresh or Aged: Short Time Anodization of Titanium to Understand the Influence of Electrolyte Ageing on Titania Nanopores. Journal of Materials Science & Technology 2022, 119, 245–256 [IF 8.067]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2021.11.050
- D. Chopra, A. Jayasree, T. Guo, K. Gulati* and S. Ivanovski*. Advancing Dental Implants: Bioactive and Therapeutic Modifications of Zirconia. Bioactive Materials 2022, 13, 161–178 [IF 14.593].
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.10.010
- D. Chopra, K. Gulati* and S. Ivanovski*. Bed of Nails: Bioinspired Nano-Texturing towards Antibacterial and Bioactivity Functions. Materials Today Advances 2021, 12, 100176 [IF 7.579]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtadv.2021.100176
- A.Q. Alali, A. Abdal-hay, K. Gulati, S. Ivanovski, B. Fournier and R.S.B. Lee. Influence of Bioinspired Lithium-Doped Titanium Implants on Gingival
Fibroblast Bioactivity and Biofilm Adhesion. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2799. [IF 5.076]. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11112799 - Y. Zhang#, K. Gulati#, Z. Li, P. Di and Y. Liu. Dental Implant Nano-Engineering: Advances, Limitations and Future Directions. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2489. [IF 5.076]. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11102489
- T. Guo, N.A.K. Oztug, P. Han, S. Ivanovski*, and K. Gulati*. Influence of Sterilization on the Performance of Anodized Nanoporous Titanium Implants. Materials Science & Engineering C. 2021, 130, 112429 [IF 7.328]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2021.112429
- T. Guo, N.A.K. Oztug, P. Han, S. Ivanovski*, and K. Gulati*. Untwining the topography-chemistry interdependence to optimize the bioactivity of nano-engineered titanium implants. Applied Surface Science 2021, 570, 151083 [IF 6.707]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.151083
- K. Gulati, J-C Scimeca, S Ivanovski and E. Verron. Double-Edged Sword: Therapeutic Efficacy vs Toxicity Evaluations of Doped Titanium Implants. Drug Discovery Today 2021, 26 (11), 2734-2742 [IF 7.851]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2021.07.004
- K. Gulati*#, Y. Zhang#, P. Di, Y. Liu*, and S. Ivanovski*. Research to Clinics: Clinical Translation Considerations for Anodized Nano-Engineered Titanium Implants. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021 [IF 4.749]. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00529
- S. Hua, P.M. Bartold, K. Gulati, C. Moran, S. Ivanovski and P. Han. Periodontal and Dental Pulp Cell-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles: A Review of the Current Status. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 1858. [IF 5.076]. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11071858
- D. Chopra, K. Gulati* and S. Ivanovski*. Micro + Nano: Conserving the Gold Standard Micro-Roughness to Nano-Engineer Zirconium Dental Implants. ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2021, 7, 3069−3074 [IF 4.749]. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00356
- D. Chopra, K. Gulati* and S. Ivanovski*. Towards Clinical Translation: Optimized Fabrication of Controlled Nanostructures on Implant-Relevant Curved Zirconium Surfaces. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 868. [IF 5.076] https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11040868
- A. Jayasree, S. Ivanovski* and K. Gulati*. ON or OFF: Triggered Therapies from Anodized Nano-Engineered Titanium Implants. Journal of Controlled Release 2021, 333, 521-535 [IF 9.776]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.03.020
- D. Chopra, K. Gulati* and S. Ivanovski*. Understanding and Optimizing the Antibacterial Functions of Anodized Nano-Engineered Titanium Implants. Acta Biomaterialia 2021, 127, 80-101 [IF 8.947] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2021.03.027
- T. Guo, K. Gulati*, H. Arora, P. Han, B. Fournier and S. Ivanovski*. Race to Invade: Understanding Soft Tissue Integration at the Transmucosal Region of Titanium Dental Implants. Dental Materials 2021, 37, 816–831 [IF 5.304]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dental.2021.02.005
- T. Guo, N.A.K. Oztug, P. Han, S. Ivanovski*, and K. Gulati*. Old is Gold: Electrolyte Ageing Influences the Topography, Chemistry and Bioactivity of Anodized TiO2 Nanopores. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2021, 13, 7897-7912 [IF 9.229]. https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c19569
- T. Guo, K. Gulati*, H. Arora, P. Han, B. Fournier and S. Ivanovski*. Orchestrating Soft Tissue Integration at the Transmucosal Region of Titanium Implants. Acta Biomaterialia 2021, 124, 33-49 [IF 8.947]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2021.01.001
Collaboration
Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Technical University of Munich, Germany
University of Nantes, Nantes, France
UFR d'Odontologie University Paris Diderot, France
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
School and Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University, China
RMIT University, VIC
Griffith University, Gold Coast
The University of Sydney
University of New South Wales
QUT, Brisbane
Opportunities
Interested students and postdocs can contact Dr Gulati at k.gulati@uq.edu.au to discuss opportunities.
- GATORs: Gulati’s group for Anodized Therapies for Osseointegration, Regeneration & Stimulation
- Immunoengineering for Regenerative Dentistry
- Biomanufacturing and regenerative dentistry
- Epigenetic nanodiagnostics and therapeutics
- iTEAM
- uQOLA (UQ Oral Microbiomics for Learning and Application)
- Peters’ Regenerative Opportunities in COR3 (PROCOR3)