"The project proposes combining the two fields of polymer chemistry and tissue engineering to create a novel device for increased collagen deposition in-vitro. To accomplish this, PEG cryogels will be made with three different charges, positive, neutral, and negative, using peptide chains built into the scaffold. By growing cells in a charged PEG cryogel, this will allow the cells to grow in a crowded environment more similar to in-vivo conditions; thus, allowing for a higher degree of collagen deposition and articular cartilage formation. The ultimate goal of this project is to grow articular cartilage in laboratories for implantation into patients."