History

When, Where, and Why was Biofabrication developed?

Biofabrication was developed when Dr. Thomas Boland had modified a printer to start "bioprinting", originally this printer had only printed out DNA and Dr. Boland had fixed it up to print out tangible objects. He had basically planted the seed for the science of biofabrication in the year 2000.
Boland at this time was researching at Clemson University and so he had discovered 3D printing/biofabrication there
The purpose of this development is to cure the diseases through deeper studies with the living tissue that could be printed as well as serve the purpose of organ transplants with a patient's cultured cells.

Basic Background

Clemson University

Traditional Technologies and Modification

Ink jet technology was the basis for biofabrication and as this was modifed and tinkered with it has revolutionized printing
The generic household printer idea has been taken and turned into a machine that can print anything and right now it is in the current process of trying to print living tissues
The past technology has been improved by this. All types of printers are being made for example the development of a valve based printer that "prints"embryonic stem cells.

Development of Valve Based Printer

Major goal in mind is depicted in this image. Organs are extremely complex and 3-dimensional printing is currently investigated.

Major Challenges

Currently challenges faced overall is within the science of this field itself. Professor Makoto Nakamura has been studying bioprinting he clarifies 3 main challenges he has faced so far:
1. How to position the cells so that it will be free to form as it would if placed in a normal enviroment to grow in
2. Which machines would best fit the printing of biological tissues and organs
3. How to produce veins and capillaries to the appropriate caliber within a person so it will function well if transplanted
Other posed challenges would be handling and managing the printing process development so that the tissues printed would be preservable, viable, and functional.

Development?

Biofabrication is still under the process of development and research, this field is much newer than others, only starting to have a sharp increase of popularitity in the 2000s even though the printer was made back in the 1980s
This field of science has still NOT been able to print whole functioning organs as of now but in a few years, as most researchers also agree, we most definitely will be printing organs
Currently able to print out pieces of liver tissue signifiy that we are not too far from printing actual organs
Organovo has also been established in the 2000s and this organization has been doing tremendous research on this as well

Organovo Building