Jeffrey W. Ruberti
Professor, Bioengineering
Affiliated Faculty, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Contact
- j.ruberti@northeastern.edu
- 215 ISEC
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Office
- 617.373.3984
Research Focus
Tissue engineering of load-bearing matrix (bone, cornea); bioreactor design; multi-scale mechanobiochemistry; statistical mechanics; energetics microscopy; high-resolution imaging; biopolymer self-assembly
Education
- PhD (1998), Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University
Honors & Awards
- Constantinos Mavroidis Translational Research Award (2021). College of Engineering, Northeastern University
- Soren Buus Outstanding Research Award (2008), College of Engineering, Northeastern University
- Dean’s Service Award (2011), College of Engineering, Northeastern University
Teaching Interests
- Capstone Design
- Biomechanics
- Principles of Bioengineering
Professional Affiliations
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers International
- Biomedical Engineering Society
Research Overview
Tissue engineering of load-bearing matrix (bone, cornea); bioreactor design; multi-scale mechanobiochemistry; statistical mechanics; energetics microscopy; high-resolution imaging; biopolymer self-assembly
My lab focuses on the role matrix molecules play in the transition of animals from a loosely-connected grouping of cells to a fully-connected, mechanically robust structure. The relevant disciplines are: Mechanochemistry, Mechanobiology, Mechanobioreactor Development, Cell Culture, Single Molecule Light Microscopy, High Resolution Electron Microscopy.
Selected Research Projects
- Exploring flow-induced crystallization as a critical mechanism driving corneal stromal lamellogenesis
- – Principal Investigator, NIH/NEI
- Acquisition of a Lumick’s SuperC-Trap correlative optical tweezers and Fluorescence Microscope (CTFM) system
- – Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation, MRI: Division of Biological Infrastructure
- Biomimetic Bone: From Nano to Micro
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Mechanobiology of Matrix Production
- – Principal Investigator, National Institutes of Health
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- Siadat SM, Susilo ME, Paten JA, Silverman AA, DiMarzio CA and JW Ruberti (2021). Development and validation of fluorescently labeled, functional type I collagen molecules. bioRxiv: doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.26.437209
- Siadat SM, Silverman AA, DiMarzio CA and JW Ruberti (2021) Measuring collagen fibril diameter with differential interference contrast microscopy. Journal of Structural Biology Mar; 213(1): 107697
- Jamieson RR, Stasiak SE, Polio SR, Ruberti JW and Parameswaran H. (2021). Stiffening of the extracellular matrix is a sufficient condition for airway hyperreactivity. Journal of Applied Physiology. J Appl Physiol (Chosen as “APS Select”)
- H. Hosseini, A. Rangchian, M.L. Prins, C.L. Giza, J.W. Ruberti, H.P. Kavehpour, Probing Flow-Induced Biomolecular Interactions with Micro-Extensional Rheology: Tau Protein Aggregation, J. Biomech Eng., 142(3), 2020
- M. Chaudhary, E.N. Ismail, P. Yao, F. Tayyari, R.A. Radu, S. Nusinowitz, M.E. Boulton, R.S. Apte, J.W. Ruberti, J.T. Handa, P. Tontonoz, G. Malek, LXRs Regulate Features of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and May be a Potential Therapeutic Target, JCI Insight, 5(1), 2020
- J.A. Paten, C.L. Martin, J.T. Wanis, S.M. Siadat, A.M. Figueroa-Navado, J.W. Ruberti, L.F. Deravi Molecular Interactions Between Collagen and Fibronectin: A Reciprocal Relationship that Regulates De Novo Fibrillogenesis, Chem, 5, 2019, 2126-2145
- B. Wingender, P. Bradley, N. Saxena, J.W. Ruberti, L. Gower, Biomimetic Organization of Collagen Matrices to Template Bone-Like Microstructures, Matrix Biology, 52-54, 2016, 384-396
- M. Susilo, J. Paten, E. Sander, T.D. Nguyen, J.W. Ruberti Collagen Network Strengthening Following Cyclic Tensile Loading, Interface Focus, 6(1), 2016
- J.A. Paten, S. Siadat, M.E. Susilo, I.N. Ebraheim, J.L. Stoner, J.P. Rothstein, J.W. Ruberti, Flow-Induced Crystallization of Collagen: A Potentially Critical Mechanism in Early Tissue Formation, ACS Nano, 10(5), 2016, 5027-5040
May 22, 2023
How collagen could help heal your torn rotator cuff, Achilles tendon, meniscus and more
The spinoff company BrilliantStrings Therapeutics of BioE Professor Jeffrey Ruberti and mechanical engineering alum Jeff Paten, PhD’14, made it to the “final four” of the “ARPA-H Dash” competition to accelerate health outcomes.
Apr 18, 2023
Alumni Spotlight: Alex Silverman, MS’21
Like many, Alexandra Silverman was first introduced to science in middle school in the form of a frog dissection. However, instead of the impending nausea many experience at the sight of internal organs, Silverman became enraptured by the beauty and intricacy of science.
Oct 18, 2022
BioE Students Nominated for Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
Bioengineering students Amanda Dee, E’23, and Conor Messor, E’19, were nominated for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program that prepares graduate students at Stanford University to tackle critical global challenges of the 21st century.
Oct 07, 2022
Announcing Fall 2022 PEAK Experiences Awardees
Several engineering students and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Northeastern’s Fall 2022 PEAK Experiences Awards. This extraordinary group of students is taking on a range of exciting projects, from exploring axolotl limb regeneration to building a snake-inspired robot to understanding accessibility on Broadway. ASCENT AWARDS Justin Almendral COE’24, “Wearable Art” Mentor: […]
Sep 20, 2022
Northeastern in Top 100 Universities with U.S. Utility Patents
For the seventh consecutive year, Northeastern University has appeared in the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) list of Top 100 Universities that were granted U.S. utility patents in 2021, cementing it as a world leader in academia and research.
Jul 28, 2022
Revolutionizing the Tissue Repair Process
BioE Professor Jeffrey Ruberti and mechanical engineering alum Jeff Paten, PhD’14, created the spinoff company BrilliantStrings Therapeutics to develop a new process to repair soft tissue.
Apr 14, 2022
Using Spark Fund Award for Active Human Collagen to Promote Rapid Healing
BioE Professor Jeffrey Ruberti was able to use the Spark Funds he received earlier this year to help commercialize his methods to produce active human collagen.
Jan 27, 2022
2022 Spark Fund Awardees
BioE Professor Jeff Ruberti, ECE Assistant Professor Aatmesh Shrivastava, ChE Assistant Professor Benjamin Woolston, and MIE Associate Professor Yi Zheng are recipients of Spark Fund Awards, which help Northeastern researchers bridge the gap between promising lab results and demonstrating a commercially viable prototype.
Nov 24, 2021
Device for Collagenous Tissue Repair
BioE Professor Jeffrey Ruberti was awarded a patent for a “Collagenous tissue repair device.”
Oct 12, 2021
Announcing Fall 2021 PEAK Experiences Awardees
Several engineering students and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Northeastern’s Fall 2021 PEAK Experiences Awards. The PEAK Experiences Awards are a progressively structured sequence of opportunities designed to support learners as they continue climbing to new heights of achievement in undergraduate research and creative endeavor throughout their Northeastern journeys. ASCENT AWARDS […]