Engineering Research

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Engineering Research

Engineering sciences and technologies contribute to Tissue Engineering in several ways. Engineering tools help to create experimental test-beds, design and analyze complex systems, create novel materials, and field therapeutic systems. Since Tissue Engineering is highly multidisciplinary, it would be difficult to list those projects that are purely 'engineering' in nature. Rather, the links below represent research that is technology driven and/or conducted by faculty in our engineering and robotics departments. Some projects are relatively new, so they are not linked to a separate project page as yet

Solid Freeform Fabrication of Scaffolds
This project investigates the used of advanced computer-aided-design and computer-aided-manufacturing (CAD/CAM) methods to fabricate complex scaffolds with controlled spatial distributions of cells, materials, and growth factors. (Investigator: Lee Weiss)

Haptotaxis in Tissue Engineered Materials
This project explores the migratory response of bone-associated cells to modified polymeric materials. The effect of solid phase gradients of micropatterned biologicals on haptotaxis is being pursued. (Investigators: Phil Campbell, Janine Orban, and Lee Weiss)

MEMS Chainmail matrices
This work explores the use of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) processes to precisely fabricate scaffolds, e.g., with a 'chainmail microstructure.' The chainmail form allows local rigidity and global flexibility; this structure allows folding (because of its interlocking ring structure) in order to fill arbitrary volumes as required in surgical implantation sites. The current system creates structures in polysilicons; the next step is to extend this process to relevant polymers. (Investigators: Phil Campbell, Ken Gabriel, and Lee Weiss)

In-situ Synthesis Polymer/Bioceramic Composite Matrix Materials
This project is a material's engineering research that focuses on the in situ synthesis of novel polymer/bioceramic composites such as biodegradable polyester/hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocomposites. (Investigator: Prashant Kumta)

Tissue Engineering and Cryopreservation
This research is exploring alternatives for developing engineering tools to avoid fracturing in cryopreservation of engineered tissue. Cryopreservation is considered to be one promising technique for long term storage of engineered tissues. Fracturing due to thermo mechanical stress is a well known phenomenon in cryopreservation of larger tissue segments, hence, this line of research is directed to preservation of engineered tissues of a significant size. (Investigators: Yoed Rabin and Phil Campbell)

Baysian Modeling
Our goal is to create Bayesian surrogate models that describe the relationships among the final performance measures and the initial design specifications for engineered bone tissue.. The Bayesian models are constructed and refined based on a priori knowledge, physical models and experimental data. (Investigators: Cristina Amon, Susan Finger, and Isabella Verdinelli)

Interstitial transport of growth factors
Specific protein hormones, growth factors, represent critical chemical regulators during all these various aspects throughout an organism's lifespan, encompassing initial growth and development, maintenance, repair and regeneration. Therefore the ability to understand and manipulate the physiological role of growth factors in these processes becomes is a major linchpin of tissue engineering. The physiological aspects of growth factor interstitial transport must be understood, modeled, and controlled, since regardless of the method of delivery, a growth factor must transverse the interstitium prior to its interaction with its corresponding cell surface receptors on a target cell. The various aspects of interstitial transport are extremely complex, including diffusion, convection, mechanical induced perfusion, physical architecture of the extracellular matrix, interactive soluble and insoluble molecules, proteases, and non-target cell competition. Using bone our tissue model and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system as our model growth factor model system, we have begun to study this growth factor interstitial transport. To meet this challenge we have combined our respective expertise in IGF bioavailability in bone, biological transport, and optical imaging technologies to develop the in vitro physical and computer models, validated by experimentation, that are required realizing this methodology. (Investigators: John Anderson and Phil Campbell)