Research

• Biomimetic Materials and Neural Engineering Lab

• Dr. Christine Schmidt

• Department of BME at UF

• 3D Printed Spinal Cord Testbeds 

• August 2022- present

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Research focus:

The annual incidence of spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States is approximately 54 cases per million, or approximately 17,000 new cases per year. Individuals suffering from SCI often suffer debilitating and life-altering effects, which can be temporarily alleviated through analgesics or physical therapy. However, there is no permanent cure for spinal cord regeneration. To better understand the cellular effects of spinal cord injury, more accurate spinal cord test beds must be developed to accurately mimic extracellular matrix (ECM) patterns. Our testbeds consist of hyaluronic acid (HA) ECM that is 3D printed into polyethylene glycol (PEG) based microgel (μGel), which provides structural support for the print. This fabrication method allows for the spatial deposition of various ECM components. Assessment of these testbeds using standard biochemical assays requires the ability to replace the aqueous component of the tested without disturbing or altering the matrix pattern. As such, a custom transwell must be fabricated so that the PEG, including the embedded ECM pattern, is not disturbed in the process of biological assessment of the tissue.

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Project Responsibilities:

I designed the custom transwell for this project. I also assist in creating the biological "ink" for printing. I conduct the 3D prints with my mentor.

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