WHEN UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MĀNOA (UH MĀNOA) ASSOCIATE RESEARCH PROFESSOR JASON BARNHILL RETIRED from the United States Army (U.S. Army) last year, he knew that Hawai‘i was where he wanted to be when it was time to hang up his uniform. However, it was not because he was drawn in by shots of Waikiki Beach in Condé Nast or a picture-perfect postcard of Waimea Bay sent by a friend. It was because Barnhill was fortunate to have spent almost half of his 30-year Army career in the islands and developed deep bonds to the state.
Through fellowships provided by the U.S. Army, Barnhill earned both his master’s and PhD in cell and molecular biology from the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at UH Mānoa. After transferring from the infantry to the medical service corps, Barnhill served two tours as an academy professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was fortunate to be selected for three separate tours as a research and clinical microbiologist at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu.
It was during his tenure at West Point that Barnhill became interested in bioprinting, which uses 3D printing methods to create functional living tissues and organs from cells and biomaterials. The process involves the use of bioinks, which are specialized formulations of biocompatible polymers and cells that can support cell growth, while being printable and maintaining its structure. While on active duty during a deployment to Africa, Barnhill put his experience into action, creating bio-printed antibiotic bandages designed to slowly release antibiotics and other therapeutic agents into wounds, promoting faster healing and preventing infections for troops out in the field. He would now like to get bioprinting moving forward in the state.
Currently, Barnhill is involved on the ground floor of a Master Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the University of Hawai‘i System and the U.S Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) to develop customizable organ models for assessing compounds of interest to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Under the first of two Joint Work Statements, Barnhill’s research seeks to enhance existing in vitro organ models to gain better insight and to develop more effective protections and treatments from burns, chemical or biological agents, and other significant threats that soldiers may encounter on the battlefield. Barnhill’s work is of significant interest to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), whose designated area of responsibility for defending and promoting U.S. interests is the currently volatile Asia-Pacific region.
“The University of Hawai`i’s agreement with DEVCOM helps to enhance our existing partnership with USINDOPACOM in providing R&D support to national security efforts in the region,” said UH Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “Dr. Barnhill’s innovative bioengineering and advanced manufacturing project is the first under this new initiative and we look forward to seeing the development of other emerging technologies at UH with similar dual-use capabilities.”
Working closely with Barnhill is Priscilla Lee, a bioengineering researcher at DEVCOM’s Chemical Biological Center (CBC) in Maryland. Lee’s research focuses on the use of bioprinting cell culture models to study immune responses, as well as developing next-generation biomaterials for the CBC, which serves as the DOD’s technical organization for non-medical chemical and biological defense. Their research on the cornea of the human eye is of special interest to the Army to better understand how to protect against chemical and biological attacks. Barnhill is also interested in developing research on other portions of the eye, particularly the retina. This research hits close to home for Barnhill, whose family has a history of macular degeneration. By developing retinal organoids, i.e., rods and cones, the researchers are looking to create a model of how the damage that causes macular degeneration happens, and then how to effectively treat or prevent it.
“Finding the right experimental model is really the goal with organ-on-a chip scientific tools using human stem cells to create organs to run tests on,” said Barnhill. “Our CBC research involving toxicology testing on 3D-printed corneas dovetails nicely into investigating the mechanisms of other eye diseases, especially this all-to-common disease that afflicts many individuals, including those in my family.”
Another important member of this team of experts, is UH Mānoa College of Engineering Associate Professor Tyler Ray, a mechanical engineer who is one of the lead faculty in the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Initiative (see related story). Ray is a highly recognized expert in the field of additive manufacturing and has developed a myriad of advanced technologies, including 3D-printed wearable health sensors. His lab will contribute greatly to the Barnhill’s DEVCOM CBC project and to UH Mānoa’s initiative in the advanced manufacturing space.
Outside of his DEVCOM CBC work, Barnhill is working with Assistant Professor Lester Smith at the Indiana University School of Medicine to develop 3D-printed bio medical instruments, which could include further collaboration with Ray to enable the U.S. Army to print downrange-deployed materials and equipment.
“Hawai‘i is a forward deployed area and its isolated location presents challenges in getting needed supplies here,” said Barnhill. “Before there’s another disruption of commerce, infectious disease, or combat of some sort, we need to develop viable alternatives to be able to produce things here locally — starting with the 3D printing for biomedical research that could be beneficial to both the military and to the people of Hawai‘i.”