Collaborative Research: Electrowetting Micro Array Printing System for Bioactive Tissue Construct Manufacturing

该合作研究项目的目标是研究电介质电湿润过程作为组织工程的先进制造技术。 将创建基于电润湿的微流体阵列打印系统，以快速打印壳聚糖水凝胶和其他生物材料，以构建具有预定义结构、细胞和生长因子的微孔支架。该项目解决了水凝胶，活细胞和生长因子的生物相容性分配的基本挑战，以模拟组织细胞外基质结构并支持细胞增殖。具体而言，研究人员将：（1）表征壳聚糖水凝胶的机械强度，流变学，固化，可制造性，生物相容性和支持细胞增殖的能力;（2）建模，设计和演示通过电润湿从芯片上的储液器产生亚纳升水凝胶液滴，解决生物相容性和液滴分配问题;和（3）证明和表征智能系统的无菌性、生物相容性和制造精度，所述智能系统包括软件控制、致动、多个储存器和打印阵列，以基于心肌组织的计算机辅助设计模型制造支架。如果成功，该项目将使组织工程师能够优化软组织工程支架的机械，运输，材料和生物学特性，具有一定程度的结构控制，精细分辨率（10微米）和嵌入的细胞和生长因子，目前还没有。在这个项目中，一组研究生和本科高年级学生将接受先进制造技术和组织工程方面的培训。 将创建几个基于项目的学习模块，以加强本科机械和生物医学工程课程。该项目还将用于为当地高中和社区大学学生，包括许多代表性不足的少数民族学生举办的外联讲习班，以展示高科技机械和电气工程在生物技术中的应用。

The objective of this collaborative research project is to investigate the process of electrowetting on dielectric as an advanced manufacturing technology for tissue engineering. An electrowetting-based microfluidics array printing system will be created to rapidly print chitosan hydrogel and other biomaterials to build micro porous scaffolds with predefined structures, cells, and growth factors. The project addresses fundamental challenges to biocompatible dispensing of hydrogels, living cells, and growth factors, to mimic tissue extra cellular matrix architecture and support cell proliferation. Specifically, the investigators will: (1) characterize chitosan hydrogel, in terms of its mechanical strength, rheology, solidification, manufacturability, biocompatibility, and ability to support cell proliferation; (2) model, design, and demonstrate the generation of sub-nanoliter hydrogel droplets from an on-chip reservoir through electrowetting, addressing issues of biocompatibility and droplet dispensing; and (3) demonstrate and characterize the sterility, biocompatibility, and manufacturing precision of an intelligent system including software control, actuation, multiple reservoirs, and printing arrays, to manufacture scaffolds based on a computer-aided design model of myocardial tissue. If successful, this project will enable tissue engineers to optimize mechanical, transport, material, and biological properties of a soft tissue engineering scaffold, with a degree of structural control, fine resolution (10 microns) and embedded cells and growth factors not currently available. In this project, a group of graduate and undergraduate senior students will be trained in advanced manufacturing technology and tissue engineering. Several project-based learning modules will be created to strengthen the undergraduate mechanical and biomedical engineering curricula. The project will also be used in outreach workshops for local high school and community college students, including many underrepresented minority students, to showcase high-tech mechanical and electrical engineering applications in biotechnology.