Polymer Interfaces with Small-Scale Biological Systems and the Impact on Sperm Viability

The use of assisted reproductive technologies has become more widely adopted and readily available to couples who struggle with infertility, and the collection of viable sperm samples is critical to the success of fertility treatments. The materials used for sperm collection that are compatible and support sperm viability are not well-understood, and many polymer materials that are currently used are spermicidal, specifically because sperm cells undergo activation by external stimuli and have the potential to lose function upon exposure to certain chemical signals. We leverage what is known about the spermicidal properties of polymers and develop materials that eliminate toxic functional groups found in polymer backbone molecules and additives. We have found that some functional groups are toxic to sperm, while others are not harmful. We also characterize the material properties, processing methods, and synthesis to determine the impact of surface contact at the polymer and sperm cell interface on the viability and functionality.