Rui Yao. Ph.D
associate professor

Biomanufacturing Research Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering,

Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

Email: yaorui@tsinghua.edu.cn

Biography

Dr. Rui Yao, Tsinghua University

Rui Yao joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Tsinghua University as an assistant professor in 2013. She had been the visiting student in Robert Langer Lab in MIT in 2009 and the visiting scholar in Kam Leong Lab in Columbia University in 2016, respectively. She is now the tenure-track associate professor and special senior researcher in Biomanufacturing Research Center of Tsinghua University.
Her research interest covers biofabrication technologies assisted biomaterial and stem cell research, including development of 3D cell printing technologies, microscale biofabrication and microfluidic technologies, and ultilized these techniques in stem cell and biomaterials research to advance the understanding and applications of cell/tissue engineering and therapy for regenerative medicine, drug testing and pathology investigation, with the ultimate goal to meet the therapeutic and diagnostic needs in clinical medicine and drug discovery. She was founded by five national program, including the young scientist key program of Ministry of Science of Technology (MOST). She has published more than 50 journal and conference papers, 6 of which was selected as highlight article or frontispiece report. She has applied for 16 patents, including 1 PCT patent. She has presented her research work in international conference as an invited speaker for three times and received awards.

Abtract:

3D cell printing of pluripotent stem cells

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) derived from either the embryo or reprogramming processes have the capacity to self-renew and differentiate into various cells in the body, thereby offering a valuable cell source for regenerative therapy of intractable disease and serious tissue damage. Traditionally, methods to expand and differentiate PSCs are mostly confined to 2D culture through the use of biochemical signals. The need for models that recapitulate 3D natural human tissue physiology is urgent for drug testing and development, study of disease mechanism and regenerative medicine applications. We make the first attempt to bioplotting embryonic stem cell-laden hydrogel into 3D structure. Printing process standardization was systematically studied to ensure both good printability and cell viability. Large quantities of uniform and pluripotent embryoid bodies with tunable properties were obtained with simple process. We also make the first attempt to bioplotting human iPSCs-laden hydrogel into 3D structure with a novel hydroxypropyl chitin bioink that facilitated the printability as well as iPSCs viability. With long-term culture (10 days), formation of hiPSC aggregates with uniform sizes was observed and demonstrated the improved efficiency of further induced differentiation.