Nanokicking for generation of tissue engineered bone graft

Bone graft is the second most transplanted tissue after blood and supply of viable bone graft is limited. Rather, surgeons often use allogenic, decellularised (thus non-viable) graft. We have developed a new bioreactor, or cell culture system, that stimulates cells to produce bone in the lab. It does this by providing 15 nm vibrations, or kicks, to the cells growing in 3D environments on the bioreactor – this is called nanokicking. This project will investigate nanokicking in osteoblasts (bone producing cells) and pre-osteoblasts (cells with the potential to form bone if stimulated correctly) grown in 3D scaffolds.