Researh Center for Disease Biophysics of Sogang -Harvard Researh Center for Disease Biophysics of Sogang -Harvard

The Sogang University and Disease Biophysics group in Harvard Wyss institute collaboration was stated by an agreement of project of global R&D centers. S-H DBRC was established for the development of organ-on-a-chip technology in 2013. Final goal of S-H DBRC is development of organ-on-a-chip which can apply to new drug discovery and establishment of global human-on-a-chip hub center. In Sogang-Harvard Disease Biophysics Research Center, total 14 professors are working together and research center is located in Sogang University. In this research center, Sogang University takes part of cell based chip platform and bio-analytical system and Disease Biophysics group takes mimic organ structure and function. The key technology for development of organ-on-a-chip will be developed by collaborating together.

Overview of Foreign Research Institutes

Disease Biophysics group is a part of Harvard Wyss institute and leading research group in biomimetic organ-on-a-chip field. The Disease Biophysics group is an interdisciplinary team of biologists, physicists, engineers and material scientists actively researching the structure and function relationship in cardiac, neural and vascular smooth muscle tissue engineering. Current areas of active research include mechanotransduction, tissue engineering, traumatic brain injury and microdevices. The primary research interest of Disease Biophysics group is on understanding biological design. In this regard, Disease Biophysics group is interested in how extracellular matrix and cytoskeletal architecture potentiate and modulate the activation of mechanochemical and mechanoelectrical signaling pathways and genetic programs in cardiac, neural, and vascular smooth muscle cells and tissues.

For achieving vision of Sogang-Harvard Disease Biophysics Research center, following activities are ongoing: such as development of source technique for organ-on-a-chip, prepare global R&D network. Also, Sogang-Harvard Disease Biophysics Research center cooperates with venture and pharmaceutical company. And Sogang-Harvard Disease Biophysics Research center provides commercializing solution for organ-on-a-chip research result with pharmaceutical companies which have demand for new drug discovery using organ-on-a-chip platform.

Overview of Foreign Research Institutes

Disease Biophysics group is a part of Harvard Wyss institute and leading research group in biomimetic organ-on-a-chip field. The Disease Biophysics group is an interdisciplinary team of biologists, physicists, engineers and material scientists actively researching the structure and function relationship in cardiac, neural and vascular smooth muscle tissue engineering. Current areas of active research include mechanotransduction, tissue engineering, traumatic brain injury and microdevices. The primary research interest of Disease Biophysics group is on understanding biological design. In this regard, Disease Biophysics group is interested in how extracellular matrix and cytoskeletal architecture potentiate and modulate the activation of mechanochemical and mechanoelectrical signaling pathways and genetic programs in cardiac, neural, and vascular smooth muscle cells and tissues.

Major research field I: Cell based chip platform

Cell based chip platform, which is concern about fabrication of cytophilic chip surface for enhancement cell analysis efficiency and development of cell signal analysis.

Major research field II: Bio-analytical system

Bio-analytical system, which is concern about fabrication of patterned sensor surface consist of various kinds of materials to detect biological materials such as DNA, proteins and also development of analytical technique to detect biological materials.

Major research field III: Organ-on-a-chip

Organ-on-a-chip, which is concern about 3D tissue culture technique, mimics organ circumstance, structure and functions for organ-on-a-chip fabrication.

Three kinds of major research field are organically combined to development of organ-on-a-chip which can apply to new drug discovery.

Prof. K. K. Parker, the FPI of Sogang-Harvard Disease Biophysics Research center, in Harvard University co-work with organ-on-a-chip research field.

Prof. M. C. Petty in University of Durham, co-work with cell based chip platform especially cellular signal measurement based on electrochemical detection method.

Prof. B. Wilson in University of Toronto, co-work with bio-analytical system especially development of analytical technique based on photo-acoustic detection method.

Prof. T. Nagamune in University of Tokyo, co-work with cell based chip platform especially fabrication of cytophilic cell chip surface to enhancement of analysis efficiency.

Name	Area (m2)	S-H DBRC
Office	22.50
Researcher Office	20.00
Device Lab.	33.75
Cell chip Lab.	36.25

Measurement equipments

• Laboratory for chip fabrication
• Laboratory for cell culture
• Confocal microscope

Experimental results

• Fabrication of PCL/Collagen fiber to aligned cell culture (Super-aligned nano fiber)
• ECM based cell chip surface fabrication

Publication

• Journals: 14 papers published and 1 paper accepted.

  IF 10.0 above	3
  IF 10.0 below and 5.0 above	2
  IF 5.0 below and 3.0 above	3
  IF 3.0 below	7
  Total	15

• Patent: Apply for a 4 patents.

  Domestic patent	3
  International patent	2

Cell based chip platform

This research result related with synthesis of nanoparticle based on the intracellular formation process. Various kinds of cell were cultured with metal ion and metal ion was reduced by intra cellular protein.

Various shaped nanoparticle was synthesized during culture with metal ion. And confirmation experiment was done which protein species concern with synthesis of nanoparticle based on intracellular process

Bio-analytical system

This research result related with fabrication of polymer/hydrogel based super aligned nanofiber for cell growth guidance. Super aligned nanofiber was fabricated by rotary jet spinning instrument.

Cardiac and neural cell was cultured on super aligned nanofiber surface. Super aligned nanofiber can support cell growth guidance and activities.

• Director: Prof. Jeong-Woo Choi
• Address: Ricci Hall. #507, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 121-742, Korea.
• TEL: 02-705-8480 FAX: 02-447-5886
• Hompage : http://home.sogang.ac.kr/sites/nbel