Bindley Bioscience Center

Tissue & Cellular Systems

There has been growing support for the idea of establishing the "Purdue Tissue and Cellular Engineering Initiative (TCEI)." Tissue engineering approaches have provided solutions to the costly problems of tissue loss or organ failure in human health. Future products could rely on the capabilities of molecular biosciences to deliver new biomaterials that offer solutions to problems in medicine and health care or other commercial uses of societal benefit. The interface between genomics and basic cellular and molecular biology offers a platform to "bioengineer phenotypes" that can create integrated tissue systems. At Purdue, this capability could have even broader impacts on research and economic development efforts when coupled to the agricultural genomics efforts on campus. It is an area that is also positioned to take advantage of the research infrastructure and capabilities under development in the Bindley Bioscience Center and provide a venue for additional faculty hiring that would benefit multiple academic efforts. The immediate goal of establishing the Purdue TCEI is to coalesce and integrate researchers from Life Sciences and Engineering across campus with similar interests and complimentary expertise to launch a broad programmatic initiative that will create new, innovative, and interdisciplinary research and education opportunities. A number of investigators, including faculty from Basic Medical Sciences, Computer Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Botany & Plant Pathology, Veterinary Pathobiology, Biology, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Agronomy, Foods & Nutrition, Mechanical Engineering, and Agricultural & Biological Engineering have already expressed interest, and organizational efforts are underway. If you are interested in this area, are looking for grant opportunities, or would like more information, please contact Kathy Beaver at (49) 61464 or kbeaver@purdue.edu. Additional information and will be forthcoming.

Interdisciplinary Themes