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May 24, 2023

Walla Walla University expands bioengineering program, renovates labs

Walla Walla University's bioengineering labs were recently renovated with the

Walla Walla University's bioengineering labs were recently renovated with the help of WWU alumni donations and grants totaling more than $700,000.

Walla Walla University's bioengineering labs were recently updated and redesigned with more than $700,000 in donations and grants.

Donations from university alumni along with a $351,000 grant from the M.J. Murdoch Charitable Trust made the project possible. The School of Engineering used the funds to expand the bioengineering concentration in ways that would allow students to actively engage in sophisticated design and research initiatives.

The lab spaces, located in Chan Shun Pavilion at 100 SW 4th St. in College Place, are now operational for research in biomaterials, bioprocessing and tissue engineering. According to a university news release, these three industries specifically have grown substantially in recent years.

Abbie Underhill, a recent graduate of the School of Engineering, emphasized the importance of hands-on learning in the lab.

"I had the opportunity to work with one of the professors, Dr. McKenzie, on summer research involving cell culture and 3D printing and electric spinning scaffolds," Underhill said. "Being able to get this hands-on experience really piqued my interest and fueled my desire to pursue a more in-depth study of biological research."

Underhill now works at a biotechnology company, Scientific Bioprocessing Inc., which has donated pilot equipment to the university for feedback.

The new laboratory equipment includes centrifuges, laminar flow hoods, microscopes, a spectrophotometer, incubators, an autoclave and a bioreactor. In the labs, students are able to work with living cells and test biomaterials.

Students from a wide range of disciplines including biochemistry, mechanical and electrical engineering, and biology have access to the labs and are able to collaborate on research projects.

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