LUNA INNOVATIONS INCORPORATED — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: 19

Description

In vitro models of cell and tissue behavior are essential to the development of medical products, and the models required continue to become more sophisticated. Alongside these advancements, there is a need for supporting advancements in the cultureware and technqiues available. Cell culture insert plates (CCIPs) provide significant utility in the creation of in vitro systems, yet no commercially available CCIP exists in which the permeable membrane is biodegradable. A suitable product that is broadly available would facilitate the establishment of methods, and reproducibility and translation of results would be improved. Luna Innovations thus proposes the development of RESORB membrane inserts. The CCIPs will utilize reproducible and biodegradable electrospun membranes, and the inserts will be designed for ease of assembly. The effort is expected to result in a scalable, cost-effective, and validated CCIP solution available for standardized cell culture use. The proposed Phase I program has objectives aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of the membrane inserts, and the novel production and assembly thereof, for advanced cell culture applications. The Phase I program is expected to establish a foundation for scale-up and commercialization in Phase II.