Biofabrication Technicians

The origins of biofabrication can be traced the early 2000s, when scientists began conducting research to identify ways to use three-dimensional (3D) printing and other fabrication techniques to create biological structures.

Biofabrication is a branch of regenerative medicine, which “focuses on regenerating, repairing, or growing human cells, tissues, and organs,” according to Innovation Quarter (which is home to the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine). “In recent years, regenerative medicine has advanced to the point where it has become possible to grow tissues and organs in a lab and transplant them into a body.” The cell source for the regenerated organ can be the patient’s tissue, which allows them to avoid organ transplant rejection. More than 103,000 adults and children in the U.S. are on the national transplant waiting list, and 13 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration. These statistics demonstrate that the need for regenerative medicine (including biofabrication) is stronger than ever.

The International Society for Biofabrication was founded in 2010. It promotes biofabrication research and development, training, and clinical and medical applications.