An intensive tissue
engineering workshop, led by Oron Catts & Dr. Stuart Hodgetts (Symbiotica
Lab, The University of Western Australia) on the basic principals of
animal tissue culture and engineering .
During the lab we
utilised immortal HeLa (1) cells , Fetal calf serum, cow femur bone
cells and ati-biotic media to grow tissue culture. Through seeding and
passaging (2) the cells in were able to replicate, grow whilst promoting
division. The cells were then introduced to a scaffolded mould from
made from degradeable polymer to the shape and grow three dimensional
living tissues.
During the lab we
also discussed the history of tissue engineering and its' link to early
European research into eugenics, artists tissue culture projects critiquing
the bio-medical sciences utilising life as capital and the critical
and ethical issues on using living, animal or human cells.
Notes
1. HeLa cell line is the Immortal cell line of Henrietta Lacks, 1951.
They were involuntarily taken from her cancerous tumor.
2. Passaging- the process of dividing cells into different flasks.
AV Festival 06-
http://www.avfestival.co.uk/
SymbioticA- http://www.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au/
