Paper Number
PO52                         My Program 

Session
Poster Session

Title
Linking rheology and spinnability of alginate solutions enriched with probiotics

Presentation Date and Time
October 22, 2025 (Wednesday) 6:30

Track / Room
Poster Session / Sweeney Ballroom E+F

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

  1. Cersosimo, Camila (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering)
  2. Degen, George D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering)
  3. Naylor, David (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering)
  4. Rovelli, Roberta (University of Siena, Pegaso Doctoral School of Life Sciences)
  5. Danti, Serena (University of Pisa, Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering)
  6. McKinley, Gareth H. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mechanical Engineering)
  7. Milazzo, Mario (University of Pisa, Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Camila Cersosimo1, George D. Degen1, David Naylor1, Roberta Rovelli2, Serena Danti3, Gareth H. McKinley1 and Mario Milazzo3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; 2Pegaso Doctoral School of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy; 3Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa 56122, Italy

Speaker / Presenter 
Cersosimo, Camila

Keywords
experimental methods; biomaterials; polymer solutions

Text of Abstract
Electrospinning of biopolymer solutions into fibers enables the fabrication of materials with desirable mechanical and biophysical properties. Sodium alginate, known for its biocompatibility and biodegradability, has recently emerged as a promising material for bacterial therapy, in which live bacteria embedded in an alginate fiber mesh are used to treat infections. In order to be electrospun, alginate can be combined with a high molecular weight carrier polymer that enhances the shear and extensional viscosity of the solution. These rheological properties influence the ability of the solution to form fibers—a property also known as spinnability—by controlling the dynamics of filament formation, thinning, and breakup, which ultimately dictate the morphology of the resulting fibers. Here, we investigate the shear and extensional rheology of solutions composed of sodium alginate, a high MW poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) carrier polymer, and commercial probiotics. We find that the concentrations and molecular weights of the alginate and the carrier polymer significantly influence the solution rheology, as well as the distribution of fiber diameters after electrospinning. By linking the composition and rheology of biopolymer solutions to the morphology of the electrospun fibers, we seek to enable the rational design and optimization of fiber-based, probiotic-loaded materials for bacterial therapy.