Biofabrication Training Program

PROJECT SUMMARY Biofabrication is an emerging field that uses the controlled three-dimensional (3D) processing of materials to produce structures (e.g., scaffolds, microparticles, microfluidic platforms) for use in biomedicine. Technologies such as 3D printing, electrospinning, and photopatterning guide material structures to alter cellular behaviors,

with impact on the fields of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, 3D cell culture, and in vitro tissue models, across various tissue and disease systems. In order to capitalize on these advances and to train a future workforce in biofabrication for academia, start-up companies, and mainstream industries, organized

educational programs are needed. We propose unique training that connects education in the fundamentals of biofabrication techniques and quantitative methods to clinical applications and product-oriented design to address major challenges in medicine. Our University of Colorado Boulder Biofabrication (CU BioFab) Trainees

will experience rigorous training in biofabrication via a newly developed lecture and hands-on course, industrial engagement through coursework product design or participation in an industrial internship, co-mentoring by clinical faculty to provide appropriate context to their PhD projects, an annual retreat to provide opportunities to

present their work across all stages of the program, and a bi-weekly seminar course that will harness webinars, interactions with international biofabrication experts, soft skills development, and engagement with entrepreneurship programs. We expect to develop a distinct trainee phenotype that exhibits: (a) decision-making

capabilities that balance innovative thinking with practical considerations (clinical applications, entrepreneurship) and (b) leadership skills to make a meaningful impact on society. CU BioFab Trainees will become engineers familiar with biofabrication techniques that are uncommon in traditional or even mainstream biomaterials and

bioengineering education, as well as industry and entrepreneurship interactions that are often missing in training programs. CU Boulder is the place for such a training program, due to our extensive expertise across relevant topics through our knowledgeable Preceptors, which include faculty in the Departments of Chemical and

Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, as well as interdisciplinary graduate programs in Materials Science & Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. Additionally, the infrastructure on campus, as well as the extensive and growing biotechnology industry within the Rocky Mountain region, will guide the success of this

new training program.