Center for Engineering Complex Tissues

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Project Summary The fabrication of complex engineered tissues remains a grand challenge in regenerative medicine. These complex tissues – bone, cartilage, vasculature, and cardiac – are characterized by dense cellularity, patterned cellular composition, and controlled matrix presentation. The proposed Biomedical Technology Resource Center (BTRC) will address this critical need by applying three-dimensional printing (3DP) strategies to the engineering of complex tissues. This BTRC brings together research leaders at the University of Maryland, Rice University, and Wake Forest University, all highly regarded collaborators in the field, to lead the development of the Center for Engineering Complex Tissues (CECT, [sees-t]). Strong and effective administrative leadership will maximize productivity, enhance ongoing collaborations, and ensure sound fiscal and compliance management for this BTRC. The technical components of CECT consist of 3 Technology Research and Development Projects (TR&Ds), 6 Collaborative Projects (CPs), and 6 Service Projects (SPs). An External Advisory Committee (EAC), that will guide and advise the strategic direction of the Center, will be assembled from world-renowned researchers with biomedical expertise relevant to the CECT. A Local Executive Committee (LEC) will coordinate the effort across the participating institutions involved in the day-to- day operations of the Center. We will also focus on growing a community engaged in developing and utilizing complex engineered tissues by offering a series of programs to help develop and establish these technologies. Communications programs will also be developed for the dissemination of the Center’s activities to enable a broader use of the technologies. The long-term plan for the CECT is that it will become a national hub for transforming current 3DP and tissue engineering technologies into new and improved platforms for everyday uses in regenerative medicine and biomedical device development.