Principal Investigator Steven Tannenbaum
Cells placed in in vitro culture generally lose at least some key differentiated physiological functions that they normally exhibit as part of organized tissues in the body. Thus, while cultured cells may be adequate for certain applications in detection of toxins and pathogens, they are certain to fail for others. We have developed an in vitro organized tissue-based sensor for detection of unknown toxins and rapid screening of drug metabolism. The technology combines a unique chip-based micro tissue arrangement with mass spectrometric and optical sensors to detect changes in tissue behavior and measure primary and secondary biochemical transformations of drugs and toxins.