PRESS RELEASEContact: Instron European Headquarters
Emma Forrest, Instron UK

European Marketing Communications Coordinator

Coronation Road, High Wycombe,

Buckinghamshire, England, HP12 3SY

Phone: +44 (0) 1494 456855,

Instron Partners with BRTI Life on Unique Hydrogel Design for the Tissue Engineering Market

High Wycombe, December 2014 –Instron, a leading provider of testing equipment designed to evaluate mechanical properties of materials and components, is collaborating with Dr. John Brekke at BRTI Life Sciences in Duluth, Minnesota.

Dr. John H. Brekke is a pioneer in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The firm has developed a unique, biomimetic hydrogel intended as a three-dimensional environment for study of stem cells and their therapeutic applications. Cell-Mate3D, a biomimetic 3D cell culture matrix, is designed to support and enhance cell culture assays. The materials are carefully chosen and processed to create an ideal microenvironment for your cells.

Partnering with Dr Brekke, Instron has provided the instrumentation and mechanical environment to test and tune the stiffness of their product. Tissue-like stiffness mimics the in vivo extracellular environment and resulting mechanical signals influence cell behavior and differentiation potential. BRTI plans to supply Cell-Mate3D in a variety of stiffnesses, from which customers will be able to choose the correct micro-environment for their specific research.

The Instron LigaGen bioreactor system provides axial stress or strain to a construct. The stress/strain profiles can be defined by the user and can be a simple sinusoidal or a physiological waveform. These features allow researchers to design the environment of interest in a reliable and repeatable manner to systematically develop a standard product. The new hydrogel grips, patent pending, use a custom zero-clamp design to provide secure hydrogel gripping without damaging the sample.

Instronis a leading global manufacturer of testing equipment for the material and structural testing markets used to evaluate materials ranging from native tissue to advanced high-strength alloys. Instron systems perform a variety of tests such as compression, cyclic, fatigue, impact, multi-axis, rheology, tensile, and torsion. Providing single-source convenience through a comprehensive range of solutions and localised service and support, Instron’s broad range of service capabilities include assistance with performance verification and calibration standards compliance, testing system relocation, staff training, and preventative maintenance.

The Instron Centres of Excellence around the world ensure that behind every Instron system is an unprecedented commitment and dedication to quality and customer satisfaction. Instron remains involved with various ASTM and ISO committees, gaining first-hand knowledge of recent and upcoming changes to standards that affect our customers.

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International coordination
Emma Forrest, Instron UK
European Marketing Communications Coordinator
Coronation Road, High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire, England, HP12 3SY
Phone: +44 (0) 1494 456855, / Editorial contact:
Dr.-Ing. Jörg Wolters,
Konsens PR GmbH & Co. KG
Hans-Kudlich-Straße 25
D-64823 Groß-Umstadt

Tel.: +49 (0) 60 78 / 93 63 - 0, Fax: - 20

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Instron European Headquarters

Coronation Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, HP12 3SY

Tel: +44 1494 464646,