Bridging the Lab and the Classroom: Tulane Researcher Secures $1M NSF CAREER Award for Organ-on-a-Chip Innovation

For many, the idea of holding a living, functional human blood vessel network in the palm of your hand sounds like science fiction. But at Tulane University’s School of Science and Engineering (SSE), it is a daily reality that is driving the next generation of biomedical discovery.

Tulane researcher, Jennifer Fang, was recently awarded a highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant totaling $1,009,319 over five years to advance microphysiological systems (MPS) -- frequently referred to as "organ-on-a-chip" technology. The funded project seeks to use organ-on-a-chip model systems to deepen the scientific community's understanding of healthy and diseased blood vessel growth while actively expanding hands-on STEM education throughout the New Orleans community.

While the field of organ-on-a-chip technology has historically focused on model prototyping and early drug screening, this project takes a distinct approach by rooting the platform firmly in the exploration of healthy and diseased human biology. In the organ-on-a-chip devices in her lab, Fang engineers artificial blood vessel networks that simulate the characteristics of healthy can cancer blood vessels that circulate blood in the body. “With this technology, you can create and hold a little blood vessel network in your hand,” she says. “And, you can test how it responds to different conditions, such as putting circulating things through the artificial blood in the system.”

The physical mechanics of the technology are uniquely elegant. Using plastic devices patterned with small, diamond-shaped channels, the lab introduces primary human cells, such as endothelial cells sourced from discarded umbilical cords and cancer cells removed from patients. Over the course of approximately one week, these cells autonomously organize and pattern themselves into working microvessel networks. Researchers can then introduce fluorescently labeled fluids, cells, or micro-beads to track real-time biological interactions under the microscope.

The primary scientific thrust of the project addresses a notoriously costly bottleneck in the modern therapeutic pipeline: the translational gap between animal models and human patients. 

Statistically, the vast majority of therapeutic candidates fail during Phase 1 clinical trials. A key reason for this high failure rate is that traditional preclinical cell culture model systems lack the complex spatial architecture of true human tissue, forcing researchers to make an immense leap from mouse models straight into human clinical trials.

By using entirely human cells inside an engineered environment that mimics the 3D architecture of human tissue, MPS serve as an essential bridge. The lab will leverage these chips alongside next-generation sequencing and computational modeling to map out the cellular signaling pathways involved in abnormal blood vessel growth (angiogenesis), a hallmark of diseases like cancer and diabetes.

The 20-year vision is to identify specific pathways that allow for highly selective therapeutics – such as drugs that might be able to target and stop tumor blood vessels from spreading while entirely protecting the body's healthy vasculature.

However, the lab emphasizes that this platform is designed to complement, not entirely replace, animal models. As Fang states, “When you're a scientist, you have a toolbox. Your hammer doesn't replace your screwdriver, but probably you're going to be better at doing things if you've got both of these different types of tools in your toolbox.”

A defining element of the NSF CAREER award is its emphasis on broader societal impacts, an area this project addresses through a robust, dual-layered educational program. Though microphysiological chips are highly cost-effective to fabricate- costing under $100 per chip- their widespread adoption is currently limited by a lack of awareness and a perceived barrier to entry regarding technical skill.

To demystify the technology, the lab is rolling out two major initiatives:

•    High School Outreach Workshops: Partnering directly with local K-12 leadership, the lab will bring living, bioengineered tissues on chips straight into New Orleans-area high school classrooms. The hands-on workshops aim to ignite curiosity and encourage local students to enter or remain in the STEM pipeline.
•    Graduate and Junior Scientist Short Courses: The lab will establish an immersive, week-long training program giving graduate students and early-career scientists the conceptual framework and practical skill sets needed to run chip experiments and confidently introduce the technology to their own home laboratories.

To maximize impact beyond Louisiana, the project mandates that all curriculum materials and syllabi will be formally published at the close of the award period, offering a scalable blueprint for educators nationwide.

This CAREER award lands during a period of deliberate institutional growth at Tulane. The project will integrate seamlessly with the newly launched Center of Excellence for Microphysiological Systems, a joint initiative supported by the offices of the Deans of the Schools of Science & Engineering and Medicine, and the Provost.

Co-directed by Dr. Michael Moore (SSE) and Dr. Heddwen Brooks (School of Medicine), the Center is currently in its inaugural year, bringing together 16 faculty members to establish a stem cell core and collaborative educational programming. Fang serves as an assistant co-director for the Center.

By investing early in these "new approach methodologies" (NAMs), Tulane is purposefully establishing itself as a national frontrunner in an area of intense federal research interest.

With lab experiments officially hitting the ground running, graduate students stepping into curriculum-building roles, and a pilot high school workshop slated for next fall, this award marks an exciting new chapter for biological innovation at Tulane.