Macro and Microstructural Characteristics of North Atlantic Deep-Sea Sponges as Bioinspired Models for Tissue Engineering Scaffolding

Sponges occur ubiquitously in the marine realm and some deep-sea areas they dominate benthic communities forming complex biogenic habitats – sponge grounds, aggregations, gardens reefs. However, sponges sponge-grounds are still poorly investigated with regards to biotechnological potential support of a Blue growth strategy. Under scope this study, five dominant North Atlantic sponges, were characterized elucidate promising applications human health, namely for bone tissue engineering approaches. Geodia barretti (Gb), atlantica (Ga), Stelletta normani (Sn), Phakellia ventilabrum (Pv), Axinella infundibuliformis (Ai), morphologically assess macro microstructural features, as well chemical composition skeletons, using optical scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy microcomputed tomography analyses. Moreover, compress tests conducted determine mechanical properties skeletons. Results showed that all studied have porous skeletons porosity higher than 68%, pore size superior 149 ?m interconnectivity (>96%), thus providing interesting models development scaffolds engineering. Besides that, EDS analyses revealed pointed demosponge mainly constituted by carbon, silicon, sulfur, oxygen combined mutually organic inorganic elements embedded its internal architecture can be important features promoting matrix quality mineralization. Finally, morphological, mechanical, characteristics here unraveled source biomaterials biomimetic envisaging regeneration.