Group Information
· Christine Ortiz, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
- CV : PDF, DOC
- Short Professional Biography : PDF, DOC
· Group Members and Alumni
· Publications
· Laboratory Information / Equipment
· Biological Collections Catalog
· Archived News
· Academic Geneology
· Email contact : cortiz@mit.edu

Password Protected Webpages
· Ortiz Group Intranet
· Sea Urchin Webpage
· Gazit
· CMSE-IRG
· DCGS

Teaching
· MIT Academic Calendar
· 3.225 Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Materials
· 3.052 Nanomechanics of Materials and Biomaterials Spring 2009
· 3.032 Mechanics of Materials Fall 2006
· 3.052 Nanomechanics of Materials and Biomaterials Spring 2007

NanoNewton Podcasts

Diversity
· Ortiz Group Diversity Website

Scientific Links
· Bio AFM / HRFS Supply Companies
· Graduate Student Awards
· Journal Webpage

Group Funding
· National Science Foundation (PECASE, NIRT, MRSEC-IRG, CMMI)
· U.S. Army : MIT Institute of Soldier Nanotechnologies
· Department of Defense National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellows (NSSEFF)
· Raytheon
· Dupont-MIT Alliance
· Whitaker Foundation
· Lord Corporation
· 3M Innovation Fund
· Cambridge-MIT Institute
· MISTI

Mission Statement

The focus of the Ortiz research program is on structural or load-bearing biological materials, in particular musculoskeletal (internal to the body) and exoskeletal (external to the body) tissues. Such systems have developed hierarchical and heterogeneous composite structures over millions of years of evolution in order to sustain the mechanical loads experienced in their specific environment. For this reason, they have enjoyed a long and distinguished history in the literature of more than a century with an emphasis on macroscopic, continuum-level biomechanics. The Ortiz research group studies these fascinating materials using expertise in the field of “nanomechanics” including; the measurement and prediction of extremely small forces and displacements, the quantification of nanoscale spatially-varying mechanical properties, the identification of local constitutive laws, the formulation of molecular-level structure-property relationships, and the investigation of new mechanical phenomena existing at small length scales. Novel experimental and theoretical methods are employed (see Table below) involving increasing levels of complexity from individual molecules to biomimetic molecular assemblies to single cells to the nanoscale properties of the in-tact tissue. The result, and ultimate objective of the Ortiz research program, is a fundamental, mechanistic-based understanding of tissue function, quality, and pathology. The scientific foundation being formed has relevance to both the medical and engineering fields. Nanotechnological methods applied to the field of musculoskeletal tissues and tissue engineering hold great promise for significant and rapid advancements towards tissue repair and/or replacement, improved treatments, and possibly even a cure for people afflicted with diseases such as osteoarthritis. In addition, the discovery of new nanoscale design principles and energy-dissipating mechanisms will enable the production of improved and increasingly advanced biologically-inspired structural engineering materials and protective defense technologies that exhibit "mechanical property amplification" - that is, dramatic improvements in mechanical properties (e.g. increases in strength and toughness) for a material relative to its constituents. Our work in musculoskeletal tissues focuses on articular cartilage, bone, and intervertebral disc. Our work in exoskeletal structures involves; natural flexible armor, transparent armor, armor for biochemical toxin resistance, kinetic attacks, thermal regulation, and blast dissipation. Model systems include armored fish, deep sea hydrothermal vent and antarctic molluscs, molluscs and echinoderms with articulating plate armor (e.g. chitons, C. atratus), the transparent exoskeletons of certain crustaceans and pteropods, etc.

Examples of Specific Current Research Interests
1) nanomechanics of diseased, aged, and injured tissues
2) the use of nanomechanics methodologies applied to regenerative medicine; e.g. as an optimization tool for engineered tissues (e.g. genetically manipulated, stem-cell based)
3) correlating cellular function, matrix synthesis, and single cell biomechanics
4) the temporal evolution of the nanomechanical properties of single cells (e.g. stem cells, chondrocytes, etc.) with in vitro culture time and matrix growth as a function of various environmental factors (e.g. scaffold material, growth factors, etc.)
5) the development of experimental and theoretical techniques for the measurement and analysis of nanoscale visco(poro)elasticity of biological materials and single cells
6) heterogeneity, homogenization, multilayering, anisotropy, and functional grading in structural biological materials
7) exoskeletons from rare and exotic animals that in the past were too small or geometrically not amenable to macroscopic testing
8) threat-natural armor evolutionary design principles and natural armor from extreme environments

Short Video of Prof. Ortiz

Prof. Ortiz on TV (The Science Channel): AVI Download (32MB), MOV download (60 MB)

Selected Recent Papers

· Journal of Biomechanics 2009 accepted, "Dynamic Mechanical Properties of the Tissue-Engineered Matrix of Individual Chondrocytes." PDF
· Biophysical Journal 2008, 95(10), 4862-4870: "Cartilage aggrecan can undergo self-adhesion." PDF
· Nature Materials 2008, 7(9), 748-756: "Meaterials design principles of ancient fish armor." PDF
· Science 2008 319, 1053: "Bioinspired structural materials." PDF
· Tissue Engineering : Part A 2008 14 (10): "Nanomechanics of stem-cell generated repair bone." PDF

LATEST GROUP NEWS (*Archived News Here)

09/28/09 · Bo Bae Lee and Lin Han's paper accepted for publication to the Journal of Biomechanics, "Dynamic Mechanical Properties of the Tissue-Engineered Matrix of Individual Chondrocytes." PDF

09/07/09 · Members of the Ortiz research group are featured in "The Future of....COMBAT," airing at 9pm this evening on The Science Channel. This program is part of Popular Science's weekly "Future of...." series, which explores breakthrough research in various science disciplines. Download a MOV file of the movie clip here (60 MB), or an AVI version of the movie clip here (32 MB).

09/03/09 · Members of the Ortiz research group will give 8 presentations at the Fall 2009 Materials Research Society Meeting. The full schedule can be seen here. To view abstracts for each presentation, click here.

08/25/09 · Ortiz group postdoc Dr. Haimin Yao spends a week at Asylum Research, Inc. in Santa Barbara, CA carrying out experiments with Scientist Dr. Alejandro Bonilla using the Molecular force probe instrumented indenter. Click photo below for larger image.

08/17/09 · The Ortiz Group was filmed for the PBS WGBH/NOVA television show "Stuff" produced by Powderhouse Productions which will focus on the history of, current research in, and future applications of strong materials and will air in 2010. The filiming included the arrival of 5 rather huge live Cryptochiton stellari (the largest species of the chitons, molluscs which contain articulating natural armor plates) which subsequently rolled into balls in our hands. Click on the photos below for larger versions.

08/10/09 · Christine Ortiz participates as a mentor in the "Future Faculty Workshop: Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow" at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. This 3 day workshop seeks to provide mentorship to aspiring underrepresented minority students with ambitions to become
independent academic researchers in the areas of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science as it relates to Polymer
Science, Materials Chemistry and Physics, Nanoscience, and Supramolecular Science. Other faculty participants include: Rick McCullough (Vice President for Research, Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University), Tim Swager (Professor and Department Head Chemistry, MIT), Greg Tew (Professor, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, UMass Amherst), Mallika Jeffries-El (Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Iowa State University), and LaShandra Korley (Assistant Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western University), Miguel Garcia-Garabay (Professor of Chemistry, UCLA). Click on photos below for larger versions.

08/01/09 · Graduate student Bo Bae Lee successfully defends her thesis, "Time-dependent mechanical behavior of the newly developing matrix of primary and mesenchymal stem cell-derived chondrocytes." Congratulations! Click on photos below for larger versions.

06/30/09 · Graduate student Juha Song, Postdoc Haimin Yao, Professors Christine Ortiz and Mary Boyce are filmed for the Popular Science Discovery Channel show "The Future of ....(Combat)," to air this Fall 2009. Click on photos below for higher resolution images.

06/30/09 · Christine Ortiz and Professor Mary Boyce visit and tour Waikiki Aquarium in Honolulu, Hawaii during an NSF-CMMI grantees conference and handle a variety of species of sea urchins including the unique shield or helmet urchin, Colobocentrotus atratus. Click on photos below for higher resolution images.

05/11/09 · Congratulations to Ortiz Lab Ph.D. student Fei Liang, who was awarded the Chyn Duog Shiah Fellowhip for the academic year 2009-10. The fellowship will cover full tuition, student health insurance and 9-month stipend. Nice work!

02/24/09 · The Ortiz group was among the first applicants to be awarded funding for the inaugural 2008-2009 MISTI Global Seed Funds, on the topic "Nanotechnological Studies of Stem Cell-Based Engineered Tissues for Intervertebral Disc Regeneration." This research is in collaboration with Professor Alan Grodzinsky (MIT EECS-BE-MECHE) and Professor Dan Gazit (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel). Funds will be used to cover international travel to facilitate the collaborative project. MISTI will provide cultural preparation for participating students before their departure. Read the full MIT news article here.

02/05/09 · Christine Ortiz receives the MIT Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership award in recognition of service that reflects the late civil rights leader's ideals and vision. The award was presented to her by Chancellor Phillip Clay at a dinner on 02/04/09 at the MIT faculty club with the Committee on Race and Diversity. She was also acknowledged the following morning 02/05/09 by Chancellor Clay at the 35th Annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast Celebration, held in Morss Hall of Walker Memorial. To read the MIT news article click here.

11/25/08 · Members of the Ortiz Group will give four presentations at The 55th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, February 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For a word document listing of the group's 2009 ORS presentations, click here.

11/23/08 · Christine Ortiz was named to the 2009 class of the Department of Defense National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellows (NSSEFF) for her grant, "Natural Armor: An Untapped Encyclopedia of Engineering Designs for Protective Defense Applications." The "NSSEFF provides grants to top-tier researchers from U.S. universities to conduct long-term, unclassified, basic research involving the most challenging technical issues facing the DoD." The grant includes 600K in direct funds for a period of 5 years.

· A link to the MIT press release can be found here.

· Read an article in Physics Today on the NSSEFF award program,"DOD launches genius awards."

09/02/08 · Members of the Ortiz research group will give 9 presentations at the Fall 2008 Materials Research Society Meeting. Check out the schedule here.

08/22/08 · Members of the Ortiz research group traveled to the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Invertebrate Zoology in Washington D.C., met with researchers, viewed their mollusc, dinosaur, and ancient fish armor collections. See all photos here.

A few photos : (Left to right) Christine Ortiz holding ancient armored fish fossil, fractured and repaired shell, Dr. Jerry Harasewych showing draw of samples in mollusc archive, Postdoc Haimin Yao and graduate student Juha Song holding ancient fish armor fossil, Dr. Michael Brett Surman holding sample of Placoderm shoulder armor

07/29/08 · Read the new paper (PDF) by 2008 PhD alumni Ben Bruet and graduate student Juha Song published in the journal Nature Materials "Mechanical design principles of ancient fish armor," which will be featured on the cover (high resolution image here) of the September 2008 issue. This work was a collaboration with Professor Mary Boyce, Department Head in MIT Mechanical Engineering. See photos of our armored fish Polypterus senegalus (1) (2) (3) (4) - he is very cute! Also a high resolution photo of the macroscopic structure of the armor shown below (1) (These images require permission for use).



Press :
· Front page of the Boston Globe: "Armor tips from a scaly era" (Monday July 28th, 2008)

· MIT News Office Article and Press Release: "Protection built to scale-fish scale, that is" (Sunday, July 27th, 2008) · MIT Website Spolight (Tuesday, J· · MIT Website Spotlight (Tuesday, July 29th, 2008)
· Foxnews.com: "Incredible Fish Armor Could Suit Soldiers" (Monday, July 28th, 2008)
· BBC Focus: "Aquatic Armour - Fishy design could protect soldiers from bullets" (Tuesday, July 29th, 2008)
· Materials Research Society, MRS Bulletin: "Materials Design Principles from Ancient Armored Fish Give Clues for Improved Engineered Biomimetic Structural Materials" (November 2008)