Abstract

4D Bioprinting: biofabrication of rod-like and tubular tissue engineered constructs using programmable self-folding bioprinted biomaterials

Vladimir Mironov, Visiting Professor, Renato Archer Center for Information Technology

The organ printing technology introduced decade ago is an automated, robotic and computer-aided layer by layer additive biofabrication of functional 3D tissue and organ constructs using living tissue spheroids as building blocks. The organ printing technology consists of three main steps: (i) pre-processing or design of blueprint for bioprinting of human organ; (ii) processing or actual 3D bioprinting using bioink or tissue spheroids, biopaper or bioprintable hydrogel and bioprinter or automatic computer-aided robotic dispenser; and (iii) post-processing or bioreactor-based accelerated tissue maturation. Organ printing is a rapidly emerging technology. The past, present and future of organ printing will be discussed.