Within the Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory projects are underway in cell/biomaterials interaction, biocompatibility and corrosion resistance of metals for dental and orthopedic implants, effects of pressure on differentiation of chondrocytes in tissue culture, a new device for the mechanical straining of musculoskeletal tissue cells on metal surfaces, surface coatings for orthopedic and dental implants, and the development of biodegradable scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering. Within the Bioinstrumentation area, investigations are being conducted to determine if the image analysis technique of texture analysis can be used with ultrasound images to detect early changes to heart tissue in cardiomyopathy. All of these projects involve interaction with researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine and other scientists and engineers at MSU and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.