Biomaterials for Biofabrication

The lack of suitable biomaterials has been identified as a major hurdle for a more rapid progress of the field of biofabrication. Besides generic requirements for biomaterials such as cytocompatibility and degradability, the application with biofabrication techniques imposes an extra set of requirements. These depend on the technique employed, and may include rheological properties (e.g. for extrusion or dispensing), gelation/solidification kinetics (influencing shape fidelity) and mechanical properties (determining stability). In this seminar I will give an overview of the biomaterials used in the area of biofabrication, and provide insight in the opportunities, limitations and challenges associated with specific biomaterials and biofabrication techniques.