Abstract

Bioprinting: The State of the Field

Gabor Forgacs, Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia; Founder, Modern Meadow

The modern era of bioprinting commenced in 2000 with the work of Thomas Boland and his re-engineered Hewlett Packard desktop inkjet printer. Since then a number of other technologies have been developed utilizing extrusion, acoustic waves, laser assisted delivery and lately “liquid bioprinting”. Meanwhile the field has also matured from its purely academic roots into successful commercial ventures. Overall bioprinting has seen spectacular progress in the past 17 years and a number of market analyses have predicted a bright future for the field. I will provide here a hype-free overview of the technology, where it stands today, what it has specifically accomplished and what can be expected in the years to come.