Overview and Facilities
Research in the Orthopaedic Bone Biology Laboratory is focused on the
endocrinological and molecular factors which influence the pace of
bone turnover and how those factors can be modulated by
environmental cues.
Work in the laboratory has also involved the physiology of
fracture/wound healing, alkaline earth metabolism in
laboratory animals and biomaterials such as charged resins. We seek
to understand the interrelationships between bone
and marrow cells which appear to play such an important role in the
development of osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases.
The lab recently acquired a new microscope, the Invitrogen™ EVOS™ FL
Auto Imaging System, capable of live cell imaging, area scanning,
image stitching, and time-lapse imaging. This imaging platform is
also equipped with an environmental chamber that enables precise control
of temperature,
humidity, and three gases live cell imaging.
The lab is equipped with a SkyScan 1174 Micro CT scanner for
three-dimensional microscopy. The scanner is capable of 6-15 micron
spatial resolution in a
30mm x 80mm scanning area with software packages to generate CT
reconstructions, 3D volumes, and volume analysis, and mineral density
phantoms to accurately measure bone mineral density.
This system is capable of a wide array of bone morphometry analysis
including X-ray radiography, tomographic reconstruction,
3D-reconstruction, and 2D/3D quantitative analysis of bone densities.
Several high-performance PC workstations are loaded with imaging
software packages to allow image 3D visualization, reconstruction and
analysis from CT, MRI, micro-CT, SPECT, or 3D ultrasound,
as well as generating STL files for 3D reconstructions and
subsequent 3D printing.
The Bone Biology Lab is equipped with a Stratasys Objet Eden260VS 3D
printer for ultra‐thin‐layer, 16 micron, high‐resolution, 3D printing.
The Eden260VS Prime Design Series printer
is based on a proprietary PolyJet Technology, and it offers 18
unique printing polymers with diverse and versatile material properties:
Vero family – grey, black+, white+, blue, clear,
DurusWhite; polypropylene‐like material, RGD720, Endur, Tango family
– grey and black, and High Temperature. The 3D printer also offers
printing
in MED610, which can be used in biologic applications as a
biocompatible part making.
The lab is also equipped with a Bose ElectroForce 3200 bi-axial
mechanical testing system. This is a bi-axial system with up to 300 Hz
frequency response ideally suited for biomechanical
testing of mouse and rat specimens.