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BioE Seminar Series Presents: Glenn Gaudette
November 10, 2021 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Glenn Gaudette, Ph.D.
John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of the Department of Engineering, Boston College, Newton MA
“Crossing Kingdoms to Develop New Platforms for Tissue Engineering”
Wednesday, November 10th, 2021
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
Behrakis 010
ABSTRACT:
Development of biomaterials for tissue engineering is challenged by the incorporation of a vascular network, which is necessary to deliver oxygen, nutrients, and essential molecules required for cells to survive. Like humans, plants have vascular networks. Removing plant cells from spinach leaves, a technique known as decellularization that was developed for mammalian organs and tissues provides a scaffold with an inherent network of vessels. This scaffold can be seeding with multiple cell types, including contracting human heart muscle cells and endothelial cells. After decellularization, the inherent network of vessels remain open and perfusable. Given the vastness of the plant kingdom, crossing it with the animal biological kingdoms may allow for new biomaterials with multiple applications in tissue engineering and beyond.
BIOGRAPHY:
Glenn R. Gaudette, PhD, is the inaugural John W. Kozarich ’71 Chair of the Department of Engineering at Boston College. Working together with his colleagues, they have developed the first Engineering program in the history of BC. His research has pioneered the use of plants as scaffold for heart regeneration. This work lead to significant recognition, including Prof Gaudette and his colleagues being featured throughout the world including Bill Nye Saves the World (on Netflix), CBS’s Innovation Nation, the BBC (live interview) and Popular Science. The work was displayed at the Centre Pompidou (Paris) as part of an exhibit entitled “The Factory of Life”. Recently, a children’s book (From Plant to Human: The Extraordinary Spinach-Leaf Heart by Oscar Silver) was published about this inspiring work. His recent research aims to develop cost-effective methods for growing meat in the laboratory setting, which could reduce our reliance on conventional animal agriculture. Dr. Gaudette is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the National Academy of Inventors.