| Title: |
A dynamic cell-culture system |
| Category: |
Faculty |
| Intellectual Property: |
Student team assigns intellectual property management to University of Arizona |
| Year: |
2009 |
| Semester: |
Fall |
| Sponsor Name: |
AME department, University of Arizona |
| Sponsoring advisors: |
|
| Sponsor URL: |
http://www.ame.arizona.edu |
| Sponsor Information: |
The Wu lab in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering focuses on understanding the structure-property relationship of novel biomaterials such as genetically engineered proteins and DNAs, and exploring their applications in tissue engineering and cancer therapy. |
| ITAR Restriction: |
No |
| Scope of work: |
What?
This project will involve the design and development of a dynamic cell culture system that allows us to apply dynamic mechanical deformations to tissue scaffolds seeded with living cells for tissue regeneration.
Why?
Tissue engineering that combines life sciences and engineering principles seeks to regenerate human tissues for the replacement/repair of diseased and/or damaged tissues. The regeneration of tissues is greatly influenced by tissue scaffold (e.g., materials, micro-structures), cell sources, as well as cell culture conditions. In particular, dynamic cell culture conditions necessitates the engineering of a robust, functional vascular graft. For example, under static cell culture conditions, vascular smooth muscle cells may irreversibly lose their contractile phenotype. The development of a dynamic cell culture system is thus critical to the regeneration of many tissues (e.g., arteries) that function properly under dynamic, physiological loading conditions.
How?
The team will work closely with project sponsor and mentor Dr. Xiaoyi Wu as well as with his highly interdisciplinary research team in the design and manufacturing of a dynamic cell-culture system. |
| Project summary: |
|
| Disciplines: |
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (1)
Computer Engineering (1)
Materials Science & Engineering (1)
Mechanical Engineering (2) |
| Skills: |
computer aided design
machine design
biomaterials processing
programming (e.g., Matlab, LabView)
microfabrication
optical microscopy |
| Additional resources: |
The Wu Lab is well funded by the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the American American Heart Association. The students will have adequate financial resources to design and manufacture a functional and state of the art fluorescence force microscope. |
| Key Contact Name: |
Xiaoyi Wu |
| Key Contact Email: |
xwu@email.arizona.edu |
| Key Contact Phone: |
520-626-5854 |
| Project URL: |
|
| Mentor Name: |
Fred Highton |
| Mentor Email: |
highton_fred@simplybits.net |
| Mentor Phone: |
|