Donald E. Ingber, MD, PhD, Founding Director of the Wyss Institute, today received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of In Vitro Biology in recognition of his trailblazing work in advancing the field of in vitro biology. Ingber has developed or applied several technologies — such as microcontact printing, cell magnetometry, laser nanosurgery, and microfluidics — to manipulate cell shape and function.
Ingber recently developed a technology for building tiny, complex, three-dimensional models of human organs. These "organs on chips" mimic complicated human functions, providing critical information for diagnostic and therapeutic applications more reliably and at a fraction of the cost and time associated with traditional animal studies. This work is a significant area of focus in the Insitute’s biomimetic microsystem platform.
The Society of In Vitro Biology established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989 to recognize those who have achieved academic excellence in their field of study and to honor those who have made significant contributions to the field of in vitro biology or in the development of novel technologies that have advanced in vitro biology.