Two Providence College biology professors seeking patent on microtissue restraint invention

PROVIDENCE – A pair of biology professors at Providence College are working together to develop a patent on their invention of microtissue restraints that are used in cell analysis.

PC said the restraints, created by Marla Tipping and James Waters, are small plastic capture devices, or disk-like structures that restrain small tissues yet allow oxygen exchange, used in a cell plate for metabolic analysis. These restraints, PC said, will allow small tissues, such as fruit fly brains, to be analyzed in depth. But Tipping believes the restraints could lead to broader capabilities, noting that the restraints will aid research in metabolic areas.

“Metabolism is a hot topic in the research world right now for a lot of different diseases. Recently, researchers are seeing that a big shift occurs in metabolism over the course of a disease, and this can be a potential target for treatment as well,” Tipping said in a statement.

PC, as a result of this invention, entered into a manufacturing contract with Arizona State University to make these restraints and sell them to third parties, the college said. PC said at least 20 researchers are interested in acquiring microtissue restraints.

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Waters said the patent represents a new and useful item for the global research community and it’s up to researchers to choose how they use the restraints to find knowledge.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.