Connecting dots: Using engineering tools to grow bone marrow

Postdoctoral researcher Brian Jun is developing a bioreactor to grow and support organ-on-a-chip research of bone marrow stem cells, which can be used for radiation treatment research

When Brian Jun, a biochemistry and biotechnology postdoctoral research associate, first heard about Los Alamos, it was for the Lab’s legacy in weapons development. However, there is a rich and diverse bioscience program that boasts high-impact projects advancing the field of bioscience for the general public, not just for national security missions.

“I really enjoy the diversity of people and projects in the bioscience division,” he said. “I’m meeting people from all over the world, and it’s been incredible to learn about their research experiences, backgrounds and cultures.”

Brian has now been at the Lab for a little over a year, and while many may consider him a biologist based on his research and work, his background is in mechanical engineering. Connecting the dots between biological problems and engineering first started when he was in graduate school, working on a project investigating breast cancer by growing cells on a chip to track how cancer cells move.

“I primarily work on bioengineering projects at the Lab,” he explained. “It’s fascinating to see how so many different disciplines come together to understand more about biology and how it impacts human health.”

Mentored by Jennifer Foster Harris and Katie Lynn Davis-Anderson, Brian is using a 3D printer to fabricate a bioreactor in which to grow bone marrow stem cells. These stem cells serve a critical role in bone growth and regeneration, as well as several pathophysiologic processes such as osteoporosis, cancer, and radiation-induced toxicity.

Once the bioreactor is built, the team will partner with scientists from the Chemistry Division to study how bone marrow stem cells react to exposure to different levels and types of toxicity and radiation. This research will not only allow the team to better understand how humans react when undergoing, for example, radiation treatment, but will also provide a human-specific alternative that can replace animal testing in laboratory settings.

While these lab-grown cells and organ-on-a-chip technology are not exposed to the environmental factors that human cells experience as a person grows and adapts, nor are they connected to a system of organs that also impact cell growth and function, the technology still offers vital insights for scientists. With the bioreactor Brian and his mentors are working on, human bone marrow can be grown as needed for testing and observed in a controlled environment, greatly improving the ability for scientists and medical experts to understand human diseases and how treatments affect both the disease and human biology.

In the future, the team, and the emerging field of organ-on-a-chip research, aim to grow more than one type of organ on a single chip so that cells can interact and simulate a more realistic process, similar to what occurs within the human body.

For now, with the team finalizing the design of the bioreactor and ensuring it is biocompatible, they aim to begin working with the chemistry division later in the year to start toxicity testing. This will include measuring cell biomarkers before and after radiation exposure to determine the changes that occur.

“With these devices, we can grow human cells under physiologically relevant environments, eliminate animal testing, and make a real impact on human health,” said Brian.

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