This week the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation (whose tag line is burned into the auditory cortex of any NPR listener) released the 25 names of their MacArthur Fellows for this year. Each recipient gets a “no strings attached” US$500k grant to further pursue their area of focus. Areas of focus range from sculpture and music to intense science and mathematics. More than a few fellows deserve Medgadget’s attention…
…And we’re starting with Lisa Griffith of MIT. She’s pursuing tissue engineering solutions for developing liver cells in vitro…
Griffith has designed several methods for fabricating scaffolds on which cultured cells can adhere and grow. An initial effort used linear polymer gels cross-linked by electron-beam radiation to form star-shaped structures. More recently, she developed a solid-phase method using L-lactic acid for precisely controlling the pore size and surface chemistry of three-dimensional substrates. Using this technique, she has explored the optimal conditions (e.g., pore size, growth media, cell density, fluid dynamics) necessary for liver cells to live and organize into physiologically functional units. With these results, Griffith is developing a powerful tool for exploring the normal function of the liver and the mechanisms of disease that attack it, offering the prospect of significant reduction in the need for future organ replacement or regeneration.
More on Dr Griffith here
More on the MacArthur Fellowship Grants here
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