University of Pittsburgh Facilities

The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine (MIRM) occupies two new state-of-the-art facilities, totaling over 80,000 square feet of space dedicated to education and research in cellular therapies, tissue engineering and medical devices related regenerative medicine (http://www.mirm.pitt.edu) and occupies departmental labs across campus. It capitalizes on the tremendous research and therapeutic potential of cellular therapies, tissue engineering and artificial/biohybrid organs. In 2002 the Federal Government designated Pitt as the first National Tissue Engineering Center (NTEC). Its clinical labs are part of western PA’s leading integrated healthcare delivery systems – one of the largest not-for-profit systems in the US. MIRM has complete access to a suite of outstanding animal facilities (small and large) and other extensive cores. MIRM houses a large animal surgery suite, a non-human primate suite and a small animal facility in the new Experimental Surgery Facility. The Animal Facility has sufficient space for incoming quarantine, surgery, and post-surgical observation. The facilities and environmental conditions meet or exceed the requirements specified by the UOP IACUC. Pitt has exceptional facilities for basic and translational research -multiple core facilities for cell isolation (including GMP/GLP), imaging facilities, polymer chemistry and characterization labs. Shared resources include sophisticated histology, tissue banking, Affymetrix gene array analysis, proteomics, cell biology imaging, and flow cytometry facilities.

The multidisciplinary Center for Craniofacial Regeneration (CCR)  was established to develop treatments for wounds and defects of the face and skull that restore function as well as appearance using tissue engineering principles and draws expertise from entire Pitt. CCR has seven core and ten affiliated faculties (~10,000 sq. ft). The Center houses state-of-the-art materials synthesis, characterization and evaluation facilities. The materials synthesis capabilities range from self-assembly, to ambient temperature soft chemical synthesis of nanostructures as well as chemical vapor deposition techniques to generate nanoparticles and thin films structures. The CCR  houses unique 3-D inkjet printing capabilities to generate patterned structures of ceramics, polymers and metals comprising cells as well as signaling molecules such as DNA and proteins as next generation scaffolds facilitating the generation of an entire tooth and the temporomandibular junction (TMJ). The CCR is also the home for complete molecular biology tools allowing cell and tissue culture, HPLC for proteins purification, cell signaling, immunohistochemistry, biochemistry, digital imaging, fluorescence microscopy including time-lapse microscopy, anti-body staining, DNA cloning, protein isolation and purification, quantitative polymerase chain reaction tools (qPCR); stem cell isolation, purification and assessment as well as viral transfection methods.  The center also has state-of-the-art animal and imaging facilities including micro-CTs, CTs, PET, and modern histology amenities.

The Musculoskeletal Research Center (MSRC) located in the Center for Bioengineering at Pitt (~5000 sq. ft) has labs divided into 4 research areas and 1 computer lab. The 4 research laboratories are focused in mechanobiology, tissue mechanics, shoulder, and ACL/robotics.