CAdBio
SIF102 CAd-Bio: Center for Advanced Biomanufacturing
Project Manager: George Christ and Shayne Peirce-Cottler, School of Engineering and Applied Science
The purpose of this project is to build the infrastructure to develop and implement novel and more effective tissue engineering/regenerative medicine technologies.
BoV Approved: December 2016
Project Dates: 1/25/2017 – 1/24/2022
Funding Awarded: $3,000,000
Executive Summary
Despite enormous potential and significant federal investments, tissue engineering/regenerative medicine (TE/RM) technologies have not delivered expected benefits for patients, especially in battlefield injuries to soldiers and civilian trauma. In response, the federal government has created massive new translational and collaborative funding initiatives to address critical technological roadblocks, namely, development of innovative regenerative materials and advanced biomanufacturing. This interdisciplinary, Cross Grounds initiative in this area, CAd-Bio: Center for Advanced Biomanufacturing, leveraged this SIF award to position UVA to take advantage of this extraordinary funding environment, and will continue to leverage existing technical expertise at UVA in areas including advanced manufacturing, biomaterials synthesis, biomechanics, mechanobiology, multiscale modeling, imaging, orthopedic clinical translation, and rehabilitation. The timely funding of this proposal was essential to elevate UVA to a world leadership role in the development and implementation of novel and more effective TE/RM approaches.
Current Status: Active
Progress
Four full PAC reviews and one administrative review have been conducted for this award and each report came to the positive conclusion that this award is making great strides in completing the original goals. The project team has established a strong administrative core and has awarded numerous seed funded projects to advance the fields of biomanufactured materials and tissue engineering. These seed awards have produced pilot data for subsequent grant submissions, publications, and IP disclosures. Specific figures are being tracked and will be provided in the final report. The Center is part of a prestigious consortium network of regenerative tissue research facilities and has received an award as part of that network that intends, in essence, to create the prototype of a tissue/organ manufacturing assembly line, comparable to a vehicle assembly line. The infrastructure of the Center (purchase of all equipment, the hire of seven new faculty in SEAS that was facilitated by the Center as an attractive resource, supplies to host symposiums, etc.) developed in large part through the SIF funds, plays a significant role in the team’s ability to cultivate a variety of funding sources that generate funds toward sustainability of the program, including industry partnerships, private donations, and grants.