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Prof. Linda G Griffith
School of Engineering Professor of Teaching Innovation
Professor of Biological and Mechanical Engineering
Director, Center for Gynepathology Research (CGR)
Primary DLC
Department of Biological Engineering
MIT Room:
16-429
(617) 253-0013
griff@mit.edu
Areas of Interest and Expertise
Tissue Engineering and Cell-Based Therapeutics
Molecular Design of Biomaterials
Drug Development
Microreactors
Women's Health
Therapeutic Gene Biotechnology
Bioinformatics and MicroArrays
Toxicogenomics Research Consortium
Research Summary
Professor Griffith's research is in the field of tissue engineering. Broadly defined, tissue engineering is the process of creating living, physiological, 3D tissues and organs. The process starts with a source of cells derived from a patient or from a donor. The cells may be immature cells, in the stem cell stage, or cells that are already capable of carrying out tissue functions; often, a mixture of cell types (e.g., liver cells and blood vessel cells) and cell maturity levels are needed. Coaxing cells to form tissue is inherently an engineering process, as they need physical support (typically in the form of some sort of 3D scaffold) as well as chemical and mechanical signals provided at appropriate times and places to form the intricate hierarchical structures that characterize native tissue.
The process of forming tissues from cells is a highly orchestrated set of events that occur over time scales ranging from seconds to weeks and dimensions ranging from 0.0001 cm ? 10 cm. Research projects in the lab address problems across this spectrum. At one end, we study basic biological and biophysical processes at the molecular and cellular level. This helps us understand what processes the cells need help with, and what events they can accomplish themselves. Our work at this end of the spectrum has led to the development of new tools for biologists to use in fundamental studies of cell behavior. At the other end of the spectrum, we develop new materials and devices that are needed to direct the process of tissue formation, under the classical engineering constraints of cost, reliability, government regulation, and societal acceptance. We are also developing new integrated micro-bioreactor systems to grow 3D tissues for use in drug discovery and development, and as physiological models of human diseases such as hepatitis. Research and development in this area includes integration of materials and scaffold engineering with computation models of fluid flow and nutrient metabolism. For a more detailed perspective, see 67. Griffith, L.G. and Naughton, G., "Tissue Engineering: Current Challenges and Expanding Opportunities" Science, 295, 1009-1014 (2002).
Recent Work
Projects
December 16, 2020
Department of Biological Engineering
Research into Acute and Chronic Lyme Disease
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
July 1, 2020
Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation
Automated Human Oocyte Cryopreservation Device
Principal Investigators
Linda Griffith
,
Scott Manalis
October 18, 2017
Department of Biological Engineering
Micro-Fabricated Polymer Biomaterials for Enhancing 3D Tissue Culture Platforms
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
December 9, 2015
Department of Biological Engineering
Preterm Birth
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
December 9, 2015
Department of Biological Engineering
HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
December 9, 2015
Department of Biological Engineering
Surgical Tools and Instrumentation For Diagnostics and Treatment
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
December 9, 2015
Department of Biological Engineering
Systems Biology and Tissue Engineering
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
February 25, 2013
Department of Biological Engineering
All-Human Microphysical Model of Metastasis Therapy
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
November 21, 2012
Department of Biological Engineering
Barrier-Immune-Organ: Microphysiology, Microenvironment Engineered Tissue Construct Systems (Bio-Mimetics)
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
November 20, 2009
Department of Biological Engineering
Center for Gynepathology Research (CGR)
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
December 14, 2006
Department of Biological Engineering
Griffith Lab: Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Tools for Drug Development
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
October 13, 2004
Department of Biological Engineering
Bioengineering for Toxicology
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
August 18, 2001
Department of Biological Engineering
Microscale Liver and Bone Marrow Tissue Engineering
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
April 18, 2001
Department of Biological Engineering
Biomaterials and Scaffolds
Principal Investigator
Linda Griffith
Video
Linda Griffith - 2019 Life Science Conference
December 10, 2019
Conference Video
Duration: 28:24
Show more
PhysioMimetics: From Organoids to Organs - on - Chips, through Systems Biology
“Mice are not little people” – a refrain becoming louder as the strengths and weaknesses of animal models of human disease become more apparent. At the same time, three emerging approaches are headed toward integration: powerful systems biology analysis of cell-cell and intracellular signaling networks in patient-derived samples; 3D tissue engineered models of human organ systems, often made from stem cells; and micro-fluidic and meso-fluidic devices that enable living systems to be sustained, perturbed and analyzed for weeks in culture. This talk will highlight the integration of these rapidly moving fields to understand difficult clinical problems, with an emphasis on translating academic discoveries into practical use. Technical challenges in modeling complex diseases with “organs on chips” approaches include the need for relatively large tissue masses and organ-organ cross talk to capture systemic effects, as well as new ways of thinking about scaling to capture multiple different functionalities from drug clearance to cytokine signaling crosstalk. Examples in gynecology, metabolic diseases and other chronic inflammatory conditions will be highlighted.
2019 MIT Increased Productivity in the Biopharmaceutical Industry Conference
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