Diffusion Tracking in 3D Engineered Tissue Constructs

There are many areas in healthcare where is is better to test the movement of materials or drugs in a test rube rather than in the body. Examples include the movement of cancer cells and viruses, the distribution of drugs and the spreading of Alzheimer's Disease.

The purpose of this project is to develop a device that creates 3D tissue in a test tube then monitors the movement of cells or drugs through that tissue. One of the key requirements is to monitor this movement non-invasively so that the movement of the item of interest isn't affected. The best way to do this is with an optical meter that shines light into the tissue, detects the returning signal and then uses that information to build up a map of where that material of interest is over time.

Once developed this technology has the potential to support new learning and clinical treatments in many areas of healthcare. As an example, the ability to assess the toxicity of a new drug in a test tube will reduce the risk when the drug is first tested on humans.

The goal of this project is to develop such a novel, non-invasive techology that can be applied to a wide range of healthcare areas where the knowledge of how something moves through the body gives information that improves the treatment for the patient.