Production of Artificial Tissues

As opposed to the Czech system of writing a Bachelor’s thesis, biomedical engineers here participate in a year-long research project. Because it is a broad interdisciplinary field, research can be focused on medical imaging, synthetic biology, computational methods, biomechanics and biomaterials, protein and genetic engineering, or molecular and tissue engineering.  The purpose of this project is to gain extensive research experience and expand knowledge of biology, physiology, nanotechnology, electrical engineering and signal analysis. In an ideal case, lab work leads to a discovery that enables publishing in a scientific journal.

Over the summer when I was interning in Prague, my classmates and I started looking for research labs at Boston’s universities, hospitals, or biotechnology companies. Professors from our university were offering some interesting projects developing diagnostic devices or drug delivery using expansile nanoparticles. We found ourselves interested in two projects at Harvard Medical School: a biomechanical study of scapholunate ligament and 3D fabrication of artificial tissues. These projects were very popular among our classmates, however, thanks to suitable prior experience and successful interview we received offers from both labs. We decided to go with artificial tissues.

Our project comprises two parts: fabrication of biocompatible acellular structures and multilayered cell-containing tissues. For construction of acellular structures such as bone implants we will utilize a high-precision 3D printer and biocompatible plastic. The goal is to produce artificial ribs that can be implanted into a human body and help with surgical reconstruction of the thorax. Fabrication of cellular structures is more complex sine cells need to be embedded in a hydrogel scaffold implementing fluidic channels for nutrition. To achieve this goal we will use phase changing 3D printing technology. Literature reports a similar method that enabled successful construction of human skin or 3D morphology containing nervous cells.

After initial tedious bureaucracy, our project is under way and we have the rest of this fall and the whole spring semester to achieve our goals. We believe we’ll be successful and push the boundaries of tissue engineering a little further.