BioTek Instruments recently donated $10,000 to the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Medicine, in Burlington, Vermont to support the program's research into lung health and disease.

A multi-disciplinary team of UVM engineers, physicians, researchers and senior engineering students will use the funds to develop a customized 3D bioprinter from an existing 3D printer without existing bio-capabilities. This will allow the development of novel, multi-perspective approaches for studying lung airways and lung regeneration.

The 3D bioprinter modifications will be spearheaded and jointly coordinated by Patrick Lee, Ph.D., UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, J. Tobey Clark, M.S., director of the UVM Instrumentation and Model Facility and Daniel J. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D. UVM College of Medicine.

Regenerative medicine is revolutionizing the treatment of an ever-widening range of diseases, and is a rapidly progressing area of growth at UVM. In fact, UVM is considered an international leader in both the underlying basic science of lung regenerative medicine, as well as in the study of potential clinical application. "The clinical implications for our research are extraordinary, including growing new lungs outside the body for use in transplantation, using stem cells to repair injured lungs, and more," Weiss explains. "Having access to a 3D bioprinter for use in lung regenerative applications is key to advancing our translational experiments."

"We are very pleased to support the University of Vermont and Dr. Weiss in their cross-functional regenerative medicine research efforts," notes Briar Alpert, BioTek President and CEO. "This one-of-a-kind 3D bioprinter, designed for lung regenerative studies but also useful for other applications, will allow research teams and students at UVM to support translational research that could one day improve the quality of life for people around the world."

The customized 3D bioprinter is expected to greatly increase lung regenerative medicine research progress and will further be a focal point when developing additional 3D bioprinting applications at UVM.

BioTek Instruments, Inc., headquartered in Winooski, VT, USA, is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of microplate instrumentation and software. These technologies are used to aid life science research, facilitate drug discovery, provide rapid and cost-effective analysis, and enable sensitive, accurate quantification of molecules across diverse applications. BioTek espouses a “Think Possible” approach that sets the tone for fresh ideas, unsurpassed customer service and original innovations. As such, they are often honored for local accomplishments and technological innovations, including Best Places to Work in Vermont, North American New Product Innovation Award for Workflow Solutions in Life Sciences and Drug Discovery Product of the Year – Scientists' Choice Award.

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