Dr. Xu and Dr. Dasa Awarded $160K Internal Grant

Dr. Xu and Dr. Dasa have received a $160k internal grant, out of which $40k is for orthopedics, to develop a new 3-D printing process for creating highly porous bone scaffolds. Currently, we cannot print such scaffolds with such high levels of fidelity and porosity. The new resolution of printing will be combined with anti-microbial properties to prevent infections for traumatic bone defects filled with the novel high-resolution scaffold.

Reactive electrowriting technology is a significant contribution to regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. It would expand the applications of tissue-engineered autologous implants. The investigators possess expertise in bioengineering, cell biology, microbiology, and biostatistics, making them qualified and experienced to complete the research.

The success of this pilot study could lead to significant commercial potential for the device. The investigators could apply for external funding from the NIH or NSF's SBIR/STTR programs, where the likelihood of obtaining financial support is considerable. The Department of Defense is another potential source for federal funding, including CDMRP.

This collaborative project includes the Dental and Medical Schools at LSU. Dr. Dasa, who specializes in Orthopedics, has a limited role in the project as it is not a clinical study. Dr. Dasa's primary contribution will be assessing osteoblast migration and survival within the 3D-printed scaffolds.