This document summarizes the work of Robert Brown, a professor of tissue engineering. His lab has developed a technique called Rapid Fibrin Tissue Assembly (RaFT) to rapidly fabricate 3D living tissues. RaFT involves mixing cells and collagen-fibril gel to create a simple tissue that is then compressed over 100x to remove excess water. This results in a tissue with real appearance. The lab is able to engineer tissue layers and properties like density. RaFT can create simple versions of any tissue in minutes and is being commercialized to replace animal testing and improve diagnostics and drug screening. The technique has applications for implants and research to better understand tissue growth and disease.

1. We Are Tissue Engineers
....Layer
Engineering…
Name: Robert A. Brown
We DIRECTLY We assemble
Affiliation: Professor of Tissue Engineering
‘swollen’
UCL Inst. Orthopaedics
Fabricate, collagen-cell
Gels….
3D, Living …..Shrink and..
TISSUES -Rapidly Stack them

2. ULTRA-RAPID, Plastic Compression Tissue Fabrication
100-200 x Construct Fabrication
Compression 5” 30’
Cells + Collagen-Fibril Gel = Ultra-Simple Tissue
+ 100x too much Water!

8. Real Tissue Appearance After Compressio
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B U dL
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– Lik
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9. Biomimetic Layer Engineering
3D & Hierarchical
Layering
Copying Tissue Layers: Planar & Radial

10. Engineering Collagen Density
Layers = Flexible, Complex Fabrication

11. Planar ‘Stack’
Layering
Radial Layering (Spirals).

12. Customising Tissue Fine Structure
By Assembly of Different Layers
In More than ONE PLANE

13. RaFT Makes Simple Versions of
‘any’ Tissue in Minutes.
9 UCL patents –
- 8 Commercially Licensed
5 Collaborating Companies.
>>TAP = UCL Enterprise Partner of Year 2012

14. TAP-Biosystems Now Sell Disposable
Kits to MAKE REAL TISSUES
Designed to REPLACE ANIMALS, IMPROVE
DRUG SCREENING, PATIENT CUSTOMISATION,
For TOXICITY TESTING & DIAGNOSTICS.

15. RaFT Makes Implantable Tissues:
With ~ 9 International Collaborators
1. Benefits Patients: Clinical Implants.
Nerve Repair
Skin graft - &
ANGIOTHERAPY
Tendon-Ligament
Cornea, Retina
Urethra/Bladder

16. RaFT Tissues for Screening,
Research, Diagnosis.
2. Benefits to Industry (3D Tissue Users)
3D Model Gut Wall
• Health Professionals;
3D Tumoroids
• Drug Discovery/Pharma;
3D Liver Toxicity
• Chemical Toxicity;
Test Non-Animial
• 3Rs & Lab TestBiomaterials
Models
Testing

17. RaFT Needs a Supply Industry
3. Benefits – UK Producer Industries.
• Devices,
• Reagents,
• Monitoring.

18. RaFT Needs a Supply Industry
4. Benefits – Research & Teaching
• New ways To Understand Natural
Tissue Growth, Repair & Adaptation
• Cues to How They Go Wrong –
Diseases Like Fibrosis, Failed Bone
& Skin Healing, Aneurisms & Hernia,
Tissue Aging.

19. Thanks To So Many
load
Scientists & Supporters
THANKS TO UCLb Officers:
•Abbie Watts, Chris Williams, Derek Reay
•& 3 Generations of TREC-Lab Researchers

20. FUNDERS: BBSRC/EPSRC;
Bloomsbury Bio-Seed Fund; TSB.
Vivek Mudera, Umber Cheema,
Burcak Alp, Gordon Blunn,
Tijna Alekseeva Showan Nazhat,
Vehid Salih, Ensanya Abou-
Neel, Nelomi Anandagoda,
Anandagoda
Farhad Faroughi, Hector Hadjipanayi,
Rebecca Porter.