Researchers have used model systems to mimic key aspects of in vivo human physiology and disease, and develop new fundamental understanding that would inform potential clinical therapies. In the past decade, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models such as scaffold-based tissue engineering constructs, organ-on-a-chip, and organoid culture have been extensively used in the field. These 3D models provide good balance in experimental complexity between simple 2D cell cultures and systemic animal experiments. In this seminar, I will present recent work in our group related to the development of 3D in vitro models and new biofabrication capabilities using extrusion- and light-based 3D printing technologies. First, I will present the development of a scalable model for bone tissue engineering using a combination of cell-laden hydrogels and off-the-shelf sacrificial material and 3D printers. Second, I will present a femtosecond laser based processing method that enables microscale interrogation of cell-ECM interactions occurring within 3D hydrogel systems. Lastly, I will present the design and development of a new laser-based biofabrication platform that allows multiscale printing of ready-to-use hydrogel biochips. I will also discuss the current challenges and new opportunities in this field.
Pranav Soman, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at Syracuse University. He leads a research group with focus on advanced biomanufacturing technologies for a range of biomedical applications. He earned his PhD from Penn State University in 2009, followed by a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas, Austin and the University of California, San Diego, before joining Syracuse University in Sept 2013. Since joining Syracuse University, Pranav has authored and coauthored 14 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Biofabrication, Acta Biomaterialia, 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, among others. He has received funding from NSF and NIH.