We will develop advanced methods for assessing the function of tissue engineered retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The RPE is a monolayer of cells located in the back of the eye which supports healthy vision by maintaining the photoreceptor cells.  Many vision disorders, such as age-related macular degeneration, are related to poor RPE function, which has stimulated development of regnerative approachesfor repair.  In collaboration with Dr. Kapil Bharti at NIH, we will develop methods to assess the functional attributes of RPE generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).  Methods will include non-invasive/non-destructive methods for assing RPE funciton, methods that are compatible with large scale manufacutring in a GMP-setting and methods to assess variability between manufactured batches of tissue-engineered RPE.   The development of these methods will enable reliable characterization of manufactured RPE.