The cells here (shown as green dots) are carrying out their bone-building duties. But they are doing it outside the body — inside a 3D printable device, called a bioreactor, created by FIU researchers.
Over the years, biomedical engineer Anamika Prasad has been refining the device with the help of her students, most recently master’s student Paula Gustin. The result: A design with cylinder-shaped hollows that mimics the unique environment that bone tissue requires. And, most important, supports long-term survivability of samples. In fact, new published research shows samples can survive in the device for up to 28 days. This can be a gamechanger for scientists who need to study cellular changes over longer periods of time to discover new drugs and therapeutics.
Read more at FIU News.