Polyurethanes offer extraordinary versatility and are used in many applications, including: thermoplastics for automotive applications, organic and water-borne coatings, foams for seat cushions and insulation, fibers, thermoplastic elastomers (Lycra, etc.) and thermosets. Dr. Beckman, in collaboration with Dr. Agarwal (School of Dentistry) and an accomplished research team, has generated novel, non-toxic, biodegradable peptide-based urethane polymers that have been successfully evaluated using rabbit bone marrow cells. These polyurethane foams, made from lysine, glycerol, sugar and tyrosine, support the growth of osteoblasts and biodegrade over a period of time to non-toxic materials. As research progresses, these materials are showing increased promise as bone-tissue engineering scaffolds. Ultimately, these findings are an exciting precursor to the use of these innovative materials in human reconstructive surgical procedures.