Interested in the latest evolution in 3D bioprinting? You can discover how biomaterials and 3D printing collide, to create revolutionary, bioprinted body parts, with a free online 3D bioprinting course from the University of Wollongong in Australia. The course can also be upgraded for unlimited access and to obtain a certificate of achievement.
The course will be led by Gordon Wallace, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science at the University of Wollongong, who is a leader in materials science research and is renowned for his work in biofabrication. The University of Wollongong is among the world’s top 20 modern universities. It routinely rates among the top Australian universities for graduate satisfaction and starting salaries.
3D printers that can create plastic toys, replicas and objects of your own design. But 3D printing is also enabling life-saving and transforming medical procedures, which were unthinkable a few years ago. The world of medicine and biomaterials has collided with advances in 3D printing, creating a new clinical paradigm in biomedicine: 3D bioprinting. This online course tells the story of this revolution, introducing you to commonly used biomaterials and bioprinting techniques.
The 3D bioprinting course, which has a duration 4 weeks, 2 hours per week, will cover topics such as the multidisciplinary nature of clinical 3D bioprinting, the advantages and limitations of 3D modelling software for bioprinting and the 3D printing process (the problem, design, material selection and object fabrication).
Case studies will be presented on biomaterials enhancing lives (e.g. Robohand, Titanium heel, glaucoma implants), as the nature and variation of materials for prosthetics and structural supports used in 3D bioprinting will be addressed.
The course will explore the key difference between an implant and a prosthetic, analyzing innovative bioactive research (e.g. cartilage, biopens, skin regeneration) and exploring the ethical and regulatory issues involved in new medical treatments and the future of 3D bioprinting.
By the end of the course, students will be able to explain the significance of 3D bioprinting to medical applications and debate the possible changes and implications that 3D bioprinting will have in the area of healthcare into the future. The course will also show how to compare and evaluate the application and impact of various multidisciplinary approaches and methods for addressing existing medical problems using 3D bioprinting
Identify, describe and compare the appropriate materials and printing methods for specific 3D structures – wearable structures to implants.
Other interesting topics will involve discussing the process of designing 3D structures from determining the problem to fabrication and reporting on how 3D bioprinting raises many ethical and regulatory issues. Students are asked to reflect on the impact 3D bioprinting will have on how we treat people in the future and what current challenges will be overcome, while they explore and discuss topical and innovative bioactive research
