Dr. Bumsoo Han

Professor

University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign

Topic: Biomanufacturing Microtissue Constructs Using Drop-on-Demand Printing

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) tissue models offer improved physiological relevance for drug discovery but remain limited by low cell density, long fabrication times, and poor control over geometry. In this talk, I will present morphogenetic printing, a biomanufacturing approach that combines drop-on-demand inkjet printing with machine learning–guided design to rapidly produce high-density 3D microtissue constructs. This method exploits cell-generated mechanical forces to drive predictable tissue compaction and self-organization, enabling the formation of native-like microanatomy within 24 hours. I will discuss the underlying transport and mechanics of this process, the integration of machine learning to control final tissue geometry, and its potential as a scalable manufacturing strategy for engineered microtissues.

Bio: Bumsoo Han is Professor and Phil & Ann Sharp Scholar in Cancer Research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is also Biohub Investigator at Biohub Chicago. Before joining the University of Illinois, he was Professor at Purdue University and Program Leader of the Drug Delivery and Molecular Sensing Program of the NCI-designated Purdue Institute for Cancer Research. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and his MS and BS from Seoul National University in Korea. His broad research interests are in transport processes in living matters. He received US DOD Postdoctoral Award for Breast Cancer Research, NSF CAREER Award, US AFOSR Faculty Fellowship (Predictive Toxicology), and Richard Skalak Best Paper Award from the ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering.

Host: Sung Kwon Cho

Thursday, April 9, 2026

11:00am

102 BEH