Laurent Bozec

After graduating in 2002 from a PhD in Applied Physics and Surface Science from Lancaster University (UK) under the guidance of Professor Hubert Pollock, Dr Bozec was recruited as a Post-Doctoral Researcher jointly between the UCL Medicine Bone & Mineral Centre, headed by the late Professor Mike Horton, and the London Centre for Nanotechnology.

Due to his already significant experience in AFM metrology, he was tasked to develop both a translational and fundamental research portfolio associated with collagen and AFM.

Dr Bozec the became Lecturer in Biophysics and Tissue Engineering at the Eastman Dental Institute, University College London (UK) in 2007 where he started his own research group. In 2013, he was promoted to Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Biophysics and Nanometrology at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, Graduate Tutor and Director (associate-Dean Graduate Studies) of the Eastman Centre for Postgraduate Research (ECPgR) which he launched in 2015. In 2015, Dr Bozec also became the Head of Research (Vice-Dean) at the Eastman Dental Institute, University College London.

Dr Bozec joined the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto in 2018, where he holds a Tenured Professor Position and cross-appointed to the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology.

Research Synopsis

The research carried in my group is highly translational focussing on the application of basic science concepts and innovative technologies to advance the knowledge, understanding and diagnostics of human health and diseases, including those associated with oral health.

The Bozec Lab

The Bozec Lab, newly reformed at the University of Toronto, will investigate the mechano-biology of tissues at the nanoscale to establish not only the link between the form & function of functional tissues but also elucidate the inception of several diseases and disorders at the scale where they first occur. With expertise in nanometrology and especially Atomic Force Microscopy & nanomechanics, the Bozec Lab focusses primarily on “Mechano-Biology for Healthcare” in research fields related to ageing, connective and mineralised tissue disorders, and cancer.

The Bozec lab is newly established at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto. As of September 2019, the Lab will host 2 PhDs (one recruited/ 1 to be recruited), one visiting PhD student from UCL, a research volunteer and a part-time research assistant. Within the next 6 to 8 months, the team will be completed by the addition of a PDRA.

The Bozec has its own dedicated space on the newly refurbished space (4th Floor – Faculty of Dentistry) and is currently expanding. The Bozec Lab is working closely with CAMiLoD (https://www.camilod.ca/) and access to all the imaging facilities has been secured.

In the Bozec lab, all students and PDRA are trained (by default) to use Atomic Force Microscopy with a high-level of proficiency and will be likely offered side-projects with industrial partner throughout their studies/research projects. Specific access to histopathology and tissue engineering laboratories is also covered by the lab.

Quantitative Nano-Histology

The Bozec lab is pioneering the development of a “quantitative nano-histology (QNH)” approach that can be applied to clinical practice with regards to diagnosis, staging and prognostication of HNSCC. QNH refers to the combination sub-micron structural imaging and mechanical analysis (by of AFM) performed directly on histological sections (unfixed – fresh with or without immuno-staining). Using an in-house developed approach, we have been able to define dermal structural and mechanical markers as a function of aging and skin fibrosis for example.  In more recent investigations we have focused on human breast and check skin biopsies and were able to create a dataset comprising 50,000 topological images combined with over 26,000 mechanical measurements (unpublished). After being analyzed manually, this dataset is currently being reprocessed using a neural-network approach for more sophisticated assessment and interpretation. While we understand that AFM may constitute a robust and objective way to analyze histological samples for surface characterization as a way to complement standard histological procedures for skin, in particular, further research in the assessment of cancer tissue nanotopography by ultrastructure imaging of histological blocks using AFM is required. This approach is currently being expanded collaboratively to collagen fibrosis and connective disorders such as Elhers Danlos.

Living-probe: Host-cell Interactions

The definition and understanding of host-cell interactions is a key area of research in the field of antimicrobial resistance or disease transmission, for example. The possibility of deciphering the relationship between an invading cellular species within a surrounding healthy tissue would enhance current knowledge and would afford key advantages in terms of therapies or drug development.

Over the last few years, we have been expanding our research in this area, as we have become extremely proficient in handling “living cells” with our AFMs. We are now able to not only investigate the morphological and mechanical properties of individual living cells or those grown within a scaffold (bacterium, fungus, fibroblast, human marrow stroma, for example), but we are now also able to functionalise AFM cantilevers with such cells whilst maintaining their viability. Thus, we are now investigating the mode of adhesion of various bacterial species on surfaces by elucidating the roles of single adhesins. This approach offers the possibility of studying a wide range of topics such as the onset of bacterial infections in host or the osseointegration of implants though STEM cell technology, for example. This field of living probe has also raised the interests of many sponsors (academics, commercial companies and national agencies). Some of the current drivers for this research are to understand bacterial adhesin dynamics, stratified biofilm formation, pathogen transmission and surface contamination.

Selected Publications

Marshall H., Aguayo S., Kilian M., Petersen F., Bozec L. and Brown J., (2019) Investigating the biochemical properties of Streptococcal polysaccharide capsules using atomic force microscopy., bioRxiv (ACS Nano), 723841, doi: 10.1101/723841

Neel E.A.A., Knowles J. and Bozec L., (2019) Effect of Sodium Hypochlorite on Adhesive Characteristics of Dentin: A Systematic Review of Laboratory-Based Testing, International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, doi: 10.1016/j.ijadhadh.2019.102419

Sawadkar P., Sibbons P., Ahmed T., Bozec L. and Mudera V., (2019) Engineering of a functional tendon using collagen as a natural polymer, ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b01544

Browne J.T., Odlyha M., Ng Y., Gulabivala K. and Bozec L., (2019) Influence of root maturity or periodontal involvement on dentinal collagen changes following NaOCl irrigation: an ex-vivo study, International Endodontic Journal, doi: 10.1111/iej.13200.

Redha O., Strange A., Maeva A., Sambrook R., Mordan N., McDonald A. and Bozec L., (2019) Impact of Carbamide Peroxide Whitening Agent on Dentinal Collagen, Journal of dental research, 98(4) 443-44

Aguayo, S., Donos, N., Spratt, D., & Bozec, L. (2016). Probing the nanoadhesion of Streptococcus sanguinis to titanium implant surfaces by atomic force microscopy. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 11, 1443-1450. doi:10.2147/IJN.S100768

Al-Azri, K., Melita, L. N., Strange, A. P., Festy, F., Al-Jawad, M., Cook, R., Bozec, L. (2016). Optical coherence tomography use in the diagnosis of enamel defects. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 21(3), 13 pages. doi:10.1117/1.JBO.21.3.036004.

Logan, N., Bozec, L., Traynor, A., & Brett, P. (2015).  Mesenchymal stem cell response to topographically modified CoCrMo. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part A, 103(12), 3747-3756. doi:10.1002/jbm.a.35514

Aguayo, S., Donos, N., Spratt, D., & Bozec, L. (2015). Nanoadhesion of Staphylococcus aureus onto titanium implant surfaces. Journal of Dental Research, 94(8), 1078-1084. doi:10.1177/0022034515591485

Liaqat, S., Aljabo, A., Khan, M. A., Nuba, H. B., Bozec, L., Ashley, P., & Young, A. (2015). Characterization of dentine to assess bond strength of dental composites. Materials, 8(5), 2110-2126. doi:10.3390/ma8052110

Aguayo, S., Donos, N., Spratt, D., & Bozec, L. (2015). Single-bacterium nanomechanics in biomedicine: Unravelling the dynamics of bacterial cells. Nanotechnology, 26(6). doi:10.1088/0957-4484/26/6/062001

Logan, N., Sherif, A., Cross, A. J., Collins, S. N., Traynor, A., Bozec, L., Brett, P. (2015). TiO2-coated CoCrMo: improving the osteogenic differentiation and adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. J Biomed Mater Res A, 103(3), 1208-1217. doi:10.1002/jbm.a.35264

Logan, N., Cross, A. J., Traynor, A., Bozec, L., Parkin, I. P., & Brett, P. (2014). Mesenchymal stem cell response to UV-photofunctionalized TiOcoated CoCrMo. RSC Advances, 4(104), 59847-59857. doi:10.1039/C4RA11524D

Manickavasagam, A., Hirvonen, L. M., Melita, L. N., Chong, E. Z., Cook, R. J., Bozec, L., & Festy, F. (2014). Multimodal optical characterisation of collagen photodegradation by femtosecond infrared laser ablation. The Analyst, 139(23), 6135-6143. doi:10.1039/C4AN01523A

Appointments

Professor, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto

Course Director (Oral Health Seminar Series), Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto

Associate Research Staff, Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto)