11/25/2025
By Zhiyong Gu

Murat Guvendiren, Associate Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Director of Materials Engineering Program, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), will give a seminar titled, "Engineering Heterogeneity within 3D Bioprinted Scaffolds: Toward Complex Tissue Interfaces"

Date: Thursday, Dec. 4
Time: 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
Location: Shah Hall, Room 303

Abstract: Native tissues are composed of dense cellular structures embedded within an extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides essential mechanical, topographical, and biochemical cues to regulate cellular function. Successfully replicating functional tissues requires biomanufacturing strategies that can mimic these complex cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, particularly at tissue interfaces where ECM composition and cellular organization vary spatially. A prime example is the osteochondral interface, which transitions from stiff, vascularized bone to avascular, elastic cartilage. Recreating this gradient within engineered constructs remains a major challenge, as conventional approaches struggle to achieve spatially controlled properties necessary for effective tissue regeneration. In this talk, we present a novel bioprinting strategy to fabricate dense cellular structures within cell- instructive hydrogels. Our approach enables precise spatial and temporal control over hydrogel heterogeneity, facilitating the guided differentiation of stem cells to regenerate complex tissue interfaces.

Biography: Murat Guvendiren is an Associate Professor and Director of the Materials Engineering Program at NJIT, with a joint appointment in Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on 3D bioprinting for tissue and organ development, biomaterials for stem cell control, and advanced functional materials. Guvendiren earned his bachelor's and master's in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Middle East Technical University and a doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania before serving as a Research Assistant Professor at Rutgers University. Since joining NJIT in 2016, his team published 38 peer-reviewed papers, and obtained five patents, including one licensed to Acuitive Technologies. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, NJIT Excellence in Research Award (2022), NCE Rising Star in Research Award (2022), NJIT Excellence in Innovative Teaching Award (2021), and NCE Soul K. Fenster Innovation in Engineering Education Award (2020), and Edison Patent Award (2025). Since 2022, he is an elected Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors.