The Tulane Center of Excellence for Microphysiological Systems
Advancing the Future of Biomedical Research
The Tulane Center of Excellence for Microphysiological Systems (TCE-MPS) is a pioneering research hub dedicated to accelerating the development, standardization, and commercialization of microphysiological systems (MPS) — one of the most transformative technologies in the realm of New Approach Methodologies (NAM).
Human Tissue Models & Organ Chips at Tulane
The Tulane Center of Excellence for Microphysiological Systems (TCE-MPS) connects Tulane researchers, clinicians, engineers, and external partners to human-relevant model systems, including organoids, iPSC-derived models, tissue chips, organ-on-chip platforms, and advanced imaging/readout technologies. The TCE-MPS is a vibrant community of MPS stakeholders dedicated to accelerating the innovation, standardization, and commercialization of microphysiological systems (MPS). A joint endeavor between the School of Science & Engineering and the School of Medicine, the TCE-MPS integrates basic researchers, clinicians, and industry experts who bring the collective expertise required to translate MPS and drive societal impact.
What we help partners do:
-Build disease-relevant models.
-Compare human-relevant readouts.
-Develop patient-derived systems.
-Explore sponsored research or collaboration.
-Connect with Tulane faculty expertise.
What Are Microphysiological Systems?
Microphysiological systems are human-relevant laboratory models, such as organoids, organ chips, tissue chips, and iPSC-derived systems, that help researchers study disease biology and therapeutic response in more physiologic settings than traditional cell culture alone.
MPS research and development aims to deliver biomimetic tissue and organ analogs that recapitulate the dynamic multicellular environments in the body. The art of MPS design enables precise spatial patterning of cells and tissues to recreate organ niche architecture, and integrated components of MPS platforms introduce dynamic forces and physical stimuli, including fluid flows, stretch, compression, and electrical stimulation. MPS typically employ human cells to address known disparities between animal and human physiology and provide a means of confirming preclinical findings in a human-relevant model. These transformative capabilities have driven exponential growth of the MPS field over the past two decades. Current acceleration of this growth is driven by federal policy emphasizing human-based ‘new approach methodologies’ (NAM), including MPS. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recognized the potential of MPS to increase the translation, efficiency, efficacy, and safety of candidate therapeutics, and the technology is poised to become an integral part of the drug development process. Similarly, the National Institutes of Health and other federal funding agencies are prioritizing human cell-based NAM. The MPS landscape is complex, spanning the innovation of new technologies, validation and standardization of established platforms, and navigating the bridge to translation.
Why Tulane?
Tulane University is uniquely positioned to become a national leader in MPS research. Faculty across the School of Science & Engineering (SSE) and the School of Medicine (SOM) have already established world-class MPS programs — and have translated that expertise into local biotechnology ventures. The TCE-MPS formalizes and amplifies this momentum by creating a unified, interdisciplinary center where researchers, clinicians, engineers, industry partners, and regulatory experts converge.
Our Mission
To establish Tulane as a leading institution in the MPS field, we will pursue the following core goals.
-Address core challenges at all stages of MPS innovation, validation, and translation.
-Provide resources and training to speed the adoption of MPS by research groups at Tulane and other institutions.
-Train the next generation of scientists and engineers who will serve as leaders in the MPS field.
-Formalize MPS education as a foundational component of academic curriculum.
MPS Innovation
TCE-MPS core members combine expertise in several MPS application spaces. Strengths include MPS models of the nervous system, the vasculature, lung airways, and various cancers. Select disease modeling applications include vasculopathies, lung cancers, pain disorders, diabetes, and organ fibrosis, among many others. Within these applications, groups in the TCE-MPS are innovating sex-based methodologies to construct distinctly female and male MPS platforms. Developing MPS that capture individual differences such as biological sex and age will be required to capture patient heterogeneity that creates divergence between clinical trial results and preclinical findings from homogeneous model systems such as inbred animal strains and clonal cell lines.
MPS Standardization and Translation
For microphysiological systems to be useful in biomedical research and drug development, they must do more than look sophisticated. They need to answer biologically meaningful questions in a reproducible and well-documented way.
TCE-MPS will help connect model developers with Tulane basic scientists, clinicians, engineers, and disease-area experts to evaluate whether emerging MPS platforms reflect the relevant biology, physiology, and clinical features of the diseases they are intended to model. This includes attention to cell source, tissue architecture, functional readouts, disease relevance, reproducibility, and fit-for-purpose validation.
As the Center grows, TCE-MPS will support efforts to make selected models easier to compare, document, share, and use across laboratories. The goal is not to claim that every model is immediately ready for regulatory or commercial use, but to build a stronger path from innovative academic model development toward translational research, sponsored collaboration, and future commercialization opportunities.
TCE-MPS is well positioned to support this process by bringing together faculty with experience in MPS development, disease biology, clinical translation, core services, and startup formation. This integrated approach can help move promising human-relevant models from individual laboratories toward broader use by Tulane researchers, external collaborators, and, where appropriate, industry partners.
MPS Education and Training
Members of the TCE-MPS have created courses dedicated to the science and engineering of MPS. We will continue to formalize MPS education in academic settings, provide online educational resources, and curate annual symposia that bring together national and international MPS experts. We are dedicated to training the graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who will become the next generation of leaders in the MPS field.