This module sets out to give students a sound understanding in the direct engineering of all living cells and organisms (multicellular systems). This includes the understanding of all processing sciences associated with the engineering of living cells and organisms for the fabrication of tissues and microenvironments, which will have the potential as a front running strategy for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

The module consists of understanding all the advanced processing approaches in-depth from lithography-based to ink-jet technology leading to emerging technologies. All the physical science issues related to the processing sciences of active cells are addressed, including the advantages and disadvantages of each process elucidating the necessity for the unearthing of novel approaches. The next stage allows students to gain a good understanding of the associated biology during the formation of tissues and structures from a genetic, genomic to physiological level.

Two visiting lecturers (molecular and cellular biologists) address issues in basic biology to those intricacies when directly engineering tissues and/or organs. In addition to these physical and life sciences based lectures, students have several invited lectures from tissue engineering and biological centres with excellence in regenerative medicine and genomics.

The module ends with a live demonstration of two jet-based technologies that are competing “head to head” for forming active biological structures from living cells and/or organisms.

The intention of this module is twofold. Firstly, it endeavours to bring all students who are from a wide background to one level of understanding with respect to all the associated engineering and biological sciences. In harnessing this one level of “hybrid” students, in-depth understanding of the associated engineering sciences and biology will be taught further where all the associated scientific considerations will be understood for making either a fully functional multi-cellular tissue and/or organ.