3D Printing Lab Powers Innovative Graduate Biomedical Engineering Research

Four years in, biomedical engineering doctoral candidate Ben Mattison has found the Translating Engineering Advances to Medicine Lab — TEAM Lab for short — an invaluable resource for realizing his research that eyes new territory in microscopy at the University of California, Davis.

Mattison works with Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Weijian Yang on innovating miniaturized microscopy tools for in-vivo imaging of the brain. Due to his research operating at the boundaries of current technology, Mattison needs to prototype designs for experiments often.

We spoke with him to learn more about his research and how the services-based facility that designs and manufactures mechanical and electro-mechanical devices within the Department of Biomedical Engineering enables new scientific discoveries.

In a few sentences, describe your research. What led you to focus on this topic?

My research is focused on developing miniaturized two-photon microscopy systems to rapidly image the neuronal activity of mice while they are free to behave in an open field or some behavioral arena. The goal is to find patterns in the networks of cellular spiking activity of neurons and correlate this with the behavior of the mouse. My work covers the end-to-end, from the mouse handling to the engineering design and building of miniaturized microscopes and the data analysis of the images and mouse behavior.

I was led to this research based on my skillset in optical engineering combined with a fascination with the brain and its complexity. Brains are essentially entire universes inside every living animal. Currently, there is still very little understanding of the mechanisms underlying many neurodegenerative and psychiatric brain disorders. I believe that engineering new tools to enable new neuroscience research will have profound impacts on alleviating human and animal suffering of this nature. 

How does the TEAM Lab improve your ability to conduct research? 

The TEAM Lab has been instrumental to my research at UC Davis. It allows me to get high-quality, high-resolution 3D printed parts at a rapid turnaround, usually less than 24 hours. Previously, I ordered from websites like Protolabs, where the minimum lead time is three days plus shipping time. 

Specifically, for the miniaturized two-photon microscope project, I need many small complex pieces to hold all of the optical components in the system. The TEAM Lab's SLA printer [a 3D printing machine that uses UV light to cure resin] has filled this need wonderfully, providing sub-millimeter precision without restrictions on the complexity of the part geometry. When I was new to ordering from the TEAM Lab, staff members Steven Lucero and Valerie Quiroz were helpful in providing feedback on best practices.  

What about the lab is especially helpful for you to realize your research?

The primary quality of the TEAM Lab I value is the flexibility and turnaround time. The service request form is very straightforward to use. The on-campus drop box mechanism is also easy to use and allows me to grab parts outside regular working hours if necessary. Given the flexibility and speed of the TEAM Lab service, I am confident I can iterate my mechanical designs very quickly as if we had a 3D printer directly in our lab. 

Is there anything else you would like to add or think is essential for people to know about your projects and partnership with the TEAM Lab? 

Any lab at UC Davis that needs rapid prototyping for their research should strongly consider bringing their project to the TEAM Lab. Steven and Valerie are willing to consider any projects and will work with you to find a suitable solution. We are very lucky to have access to this service at UC Davis, and I believe it improves the campus research environment significantly.