CENTER FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

EDUCATION

The Interdepartmental Undergraduate Minor in Bioengineering was instituted, with 18 students enrolled from 6 different Departments (Biology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering). A new undergraduate/graduate course in Tissue Engineering was developed and offered for the first time by Professor Linda Griffith-Cima (Chemical Engineering). A Cell & Tissue Engineering Laboratory Module was developed by Professor Elazer Edelman (Health Sciences & Technology) and included in a sophomore-level core course in Materials Science & Engineering taught by Professor Anne Mayes.

A week-long Short Course in Molecular & Cell Biology for Engineering Faculty was organized, with financial support from the School of Engineering, and taught by Department of Biology Faculty (led by Professors Harvey Lodish and Richard Young) to 26 School of Engineering faculty in June 1996.

RESEARCH

Six Engineering/Biology Catalytic Research Seed Grants are being supported by CBE discretionary funds:

• "Laser Trapping Studies of Regulation of Gene Transcription" - Professor Paul Matsudaira (Biology) and Dr. Dan Ehrlich (Lincoln Laboratory)

• "Mechanical Properties of Self-Assembling Peptide Biomaterials" - Professor Roger Kamm (Mechanical Engineering) and Dr. Shuguang Zhang (Biology)

• "Polymeric Vehicles for Gene Delivery" - Professor Robert Langer (Chemical Engineering) and Professor Richard Mulligand (Biology)

• "Microrobotic Assessment of Growth Factor Therapy for Stroke Patients" - Professor Neville Hogan (Mechanical Engineering) and Dr. Seth Finkelstein (Massachusetts General Hospital)

• "Induced Neovascularization of Encapsulated Cell Implants by Genetically-Engineering Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor" - Professor Clark Colton (Chemical Engineering) and Dr. Gordon Weir (Joslin Diabetes Center)

• "Tissue-Engineering Liver Organoids for In Vitro Toxicology Studies" - Professor Linda Griffith-Cima (Chemical Engineering), Professor Robert Rubin (Health Sciences & Technology), and Dr. Joseph Vacanti (Children's Hospital)

A CBE/ILP Workshop on MIT/Industry Interactions in Biomedical Engineering was held in May 1996. Thirty-two companies from the health care industry, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, attended.

PERSONNEL

Professor Roger Kamm (Mechanical Engineering) is Associate Director for Programs, Professor Alan Grodzinsky (Electrical Engineering & Computer Science) is Associate Director for Facilities, and Professor Douglas Lauffenburger (Chemical Engineering) is Director. Other members of the Steering Committee include Professors Paul Matsudaira (Biology), Robert Langer (Chemical Engineering), Ian Hunter (Mechanical Engineering), Elazer Edelman (Health Sciences & Technology), Martha Gray (Health Sciences & Technology), Linda Griffith-Cima (Chemical Engineering), Robert Rubin (Health Sciences & Technology), and Fred Schoen (Brigham & Women's Hospital).

FUTURE PLANS

In the coming year CBE aims to update and expand the Undergraduate Minor and develop substantial research funding support for multi-disciplinary team projects from health care industry sources.

Douglas Lauffenburger

MIT Reports to the President 1995-96