Offerings

 

What We Offer

TCE-MPS is building a set of events, working groups, and training activities to connect Tulane researchers across engineering, medicine, biology, imaging, materials science, and translational research. As the Center launches, this page will highlight relevant Tulane seminars and existing resources, with TCE-MPS-sponsored programs added as dates, topics, and participation processes are confirmed. Community & Education Programs

 

 

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Community & Education Programs

 

TCE-MPS will highlight seminars and events across Tulane that are relevant to organoids, organ-on-chip systems, iPSC tools, tissue engineering, imaging, biosensors, disease modeling, and translational research. As Center-hosted seminars are scheduled, dates and speaker information will be posted here. 

TCE-MPS is developing focused working groups to help Tulane investigators address shared challenges in MPS research and model development. Proposed topics include readout technologies, data collection and reporting, comparison of MPS with intact tissue systems, new model development, and translation of promising platforms. Participation details, leadership, and expected outputs will be posted as working groups are launched.

The goal of each working group will be to produce practical outputs, such as collaborative grant concepts, model-development plans, publications, protocol summaries, or shared resource recommendations.  If interested in learning more, contact Dr. Jennifer Fang.

TCE-MPS is exploring plans for a future regional symposium focused on human tissue models, organ-on-chip systems, iPSC-enabled disease models, and translational applications of MPS research. The goal is to bring together Tulane investigators, Gulf Coast collaborators, and selected academic and industry experts as the Center matures.

Planning is expected to focus on a future 2027 event.

The TCE-MPS is committed to training the next generation of MPS researchers. We offer workshops on scientific writing, research ethics, project management, and small business startup. Datablitz events showcase trainee research and promote collaboration across the Center. We partner with the Tulane Bioinnovation Graduate Program to connect graduate students with MPS faculty mentors, and we are building toward a federally supported T32 interdisciplinary MPS training program.


Research Funding


Seed Research Awards


To catalyze new research and support collection of preliminary data for extramural grant applications, the TCE-MPS awards competitive research funding annually:

-Two 3-year project awards of $25,000 per year each — supporting substantial preliminary and pilot studies in MPS model development

-One 1-year pilot project award of $10,000 — supporting early-stage exploratory MPS projects

Awards are open to TCE-MPS members through a peer-reviewed application process. Current funded projects include development of an HHT-on-a-chip vascular malformation model, engrafted human kidney organoid models for hypertensive kidney disease, and low-field MRI as a non-invasive MPS monitoring tool.

 

Core Facilities & Shared Resources

 

The TCE-MPS is establishing the first dedicated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) Core at Tulane — a transformative shared resource that will support personalized medicine research across MPS and non-MPS contexts. The iPSC Core provides:
•    iPSC generation from patient tissue samples — enabling disease-specific and patient-specific cell line development
•    iPSC validation and quality characterization
•    Custom gene editing services — supporting precise genetic modeling of disease variants
•    Biobanked cell line access — available for purchase by Tulane and non-Tulane researchers

Service

Estimated Commercial Rate

Tulane Researchers

Non-Tulane Researchers

Cell Line Purchase

$10,000

$5,000

$7,500

iPSC Generation

$30,000

$10,000

$15,000

iPSC Validation

$10,000

$5,000

$7,500

Custom Gene Editing

$50,000

$20,000

$30,000

TCE-MPS members have access to a network of established Tulane shared research infrastructure, including:

Microscopy graphic of a complex network of red, green, and blue filaments on a black background.

Industry & Commercialization Support

TCE-MPS welcomes conversations with external academic collaborators, nonprofit partners, and industry groups interested in human-relevant model systems. The Center can help identify relevant Tulane faculty expertise, emerging model platforms, shared resources, and potential pathways for sponsored research or collaborative project development.

Potential areas for discussion include:
•    human-relevant disease models 
•    organoids and organ-on-chip systems 
•    iPSC-derived models and cell-line resources 
•    model validation and comparative studies 
•    drug screening and toxicity questions 
•    imaging, biosensors, and noninvasive readouts 
•    sponsored research or SBIR/STTR-aligned project planning 

External and industry inquiries will be routed to the appropriate faculty, Center leadership, and Tulane offices.

 

The TCE-MPS actively supports the translation of MPS technologies from laboratory to market. Through partnerships with the Tulane Innovation Institute and the Freeman School of Business, we offer:

-Seminars and workshops on intellectual property, patent rights, and technology transfer
-Guidance on small business startup strategy for spin-out companies
-Support for NIH SBIR and STTR funding applications
-Connections to local and regional biotechnology companies and investors
-A structured bench-to-business pipeline to seamlessly commercialize patentable MPS technologies

Tulane faculty have already demonstrated the commercial potential of MPS research — including the founding of 28bio., a neurotechnology startup that has grown to over 30 employees and contracted with some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The TCE-MPS aims to replicate and expand this success across multiple organ systems and disease areas.

Not sure where to start?
Tell us the biological question, target tissue, disease area, desired readout, and timeline. TCE-MPS can help identify whether Tulane has an existing model, an emerging platform, or a faculty collaborator suited to the project. Contact: Dr. Jennifer Fang.

 

Microfluidic chip with a multi-channel blue loop connected to channels with green, orange, purple, and yellow dyes.

Membership & Collaboration

We welcome faculty, clinicians, trainees, and industry collaborators interested in joining or partnering with the TCE-MPS community. Whether you are an established MPS researcher, a clinician interested in bringing patient biology into in vitro systems, an engineer developing new device platforms, or an industry partner seeking academic collaboration, there is a place for you in this community.
To learn more about membership, core services, or research collaboration opportunities, please contact Dr. Jennifer Fang.