{"id":1371,"date":"2018-10-31T09:53:41","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T13:53:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cell-met\/?page_id=1371"},"modified":"2026-05-20T11:38:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T15:38:58","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cell-met\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Synthesizing Personalized Heart Tissue for Clinical Use<\/strong>
\nCELL-MET – an NSF Engineering Research Center in Cellular Metamaterials – is designed to stimulate translation of research to practice by facilitating worldwide corporate, clinical, and university partnerships. CELL-MET\u2014with Boston University as the lead institution\u2014 aims to transform cardiovascular care by combining breakthroughs in nanotechnology and manufacturing with tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, while also developing areas of expertise in education, mentorship, administration, and outreach.<\/p>\n

CELL-MET will use the latest multiscale 3D printing technologies to engineer scaffolds that guide cells to assemble into complex tissues that exhibit desired behaviors. The scaffolds will incorporate actuators to apply dynamic electrical and mechanical signals as well as cellular \u201cglues\u201d that include biological signaling molecules, all of which can be chosen to foster desired activity of the cells and tissue. The researchers will also employ optogenetics and other imaging techniques to monitor and control cellular activity. The ultimate goal is to fabricate personalized heart tissue that could be used in the shorter term to test the efficacy of drugs and eventually to replace diseased or damaged muscle after a heart attack.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration
A cardiac patch. The ERC\u2019s ultimate goal is to advance nano-bio-manufacturing methods that could lead to large-scale fabrication of functional heart tissue, which could replace diseased or damaged muscle after a heart attack. Illustration courtesy of Jeroen Eyckmans<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CELL-MET is housed at Boston University, the lead institution on the grant. David Bishop<\/a>, an ENG professor of electrical and computer engineering, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of physics, and head of ENG\u2019s Division of Materials Science & Engineering, directs the center. CELL-MET has two additional core partner institutions as well as ten affiliate institutions that offer additional expertise in bioengineering, nanotechnology, and more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0 Core Partner Institutions<\/h2>\n