This grant provides partial funding for a joint workshop with the National Science Foundation, the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering and Tsinghua University to facilitate the research collaboration between US and China in the field of integrated bio-nanomanufacturing. This bi-lateral workshop will be held in Beijing, China; April 11-13, 2011. The objective of this bilateral workshop is to bring together multi-disciplinary researchers to review the recent advances, challenges and future directions on Bio-Nano Integrated Manufacturing, its science, engineering, the novel processes, and the emerging applications in the field of engineering, biology and bioengineering. The tentative workshop topics include, but are not limited to: 1) Identify grand challenges for integrated bio-nano manufacturing for fabrication of biological machines, integrated cellular system, and advanced cellular models for biological, disease and drug studies; 2) Review enabling techniques on integrated bio-nano manufacturing, the manufacturing science, engineering, modeling, the novel processes; 3) Vision the future research and development on integrated bio-nanomanufacturing and explore synergies and collaborative opportunities at the interface of bio and nano manufacturing and its integration; 4) Opportunities for education curricula to train next generation of researchers, scientists, engineers and workforce in emerging integrated bio-nanomanufacturing.
The outcome of workshop will define challenges for bio-nano manufacturing and its integration for fabrication of emerging biological cellular systems and advanced cellular models in a broad 3D biology, disease, drug discovery and tissue science and engineering application. The workshop will also facilitate developing enabling techniques on integrated bio-nanomanufacturing, the bio-nanomanufacturing science, engineering, modeling, the novel processes, and provide guidance for federal agencies to vision the future research and development on integrated bio-nanomanufacturing.
The objective of this bilateral workshop is to bring together multi-disciplinary researchers to review the recent advances, challenges and future directions on Bio-Nano Integrated Manufacturing, its science, engineering, the novel processes, and the emerging applications in the field of engineering, biology and bioengineering. The tentative workshop topics include, but not limit to: Identify grand challenges for integrated bio-nano manufacturing, particularly on fabrication of biological machines, integrated cellular system, and advanced cellular models for biological, disease and drug studies; Review enabling techniques on integrated bio-nano manufacturing, the manufacturing science, engineering, modeling, the novel processes; Vision the future research and development on integrated bio-nanomanufacturing and explore synergies and collaborative opportunities at the interface of bio and nano manufacturing and its integration; Opportunities for education curricula to train next generation of researchers, scientists, engineers and workforce in emerging integrated bio-nanomanufacturing. Biomanufacturing is an emerging technology that employs a broad range of physical, chemical, biological, and/or engineering methods to assemble biologically-active or biologically-derived components to generate models, systems, devices, interfaces and products useful for a wide range of applications, including regenerative medicine, tissue science and engineering, in vitro biological models for 3D biology, disease pathogenesis study, drug testing and discovery, and cell/tissue-on-a-chip modern diagnostic medical devices. The workshop presentation covers bio-manufacturing enabled by nanotechnology; development of bio-nano manufacturing processes and systems; cell based production and nanostructure self and directed assemblies; nano- and nano-integrated micro and macro scale templates for bioengineering; bio-nano mechanics and functionally graded materials and membranes; bio-nano multi-function metrology; standardization and characterization of bio-nano devices, active and passive structures and systems; synthesis and fabrication of bio-nano systems; assembly and integration of bio-nano systems; use of cell as production plant (bioprocess), cell-based printing, patterning and assembly; behavior of inter and intra-cellular interfaces; reliability aspects of bio-nano manufacturing; technology scale-up; bio-nano system product applications; and nano-design/manufacturing for drug delivery. In addition to the current focus of cell-based bioprocess and drug delivery, new features of this workshop include nanotechnology enabled biomanufacturing in regenerative medicine, biofabrication of tissue engineering, scaffolds, nano patterning for bio membranes, etc. The experts on bio/nano fabrication technology agreed on that bio/nano fabrication technology not only on molecular biology, also cover biomedical materials, systems and devices by engineering methods in nano scale. Potential challenges in bio/nano manufacturing mainly include characterization and processing of nano particles, complexity of product, multiscale modeling, design criteria, and bioethics and safety. The workshop also concluded that future application of bio/nano manufacturing will involve a number of areas, such as, imaging, diagnostic tools, therapy, targeted drug delivery, repair and regeneration of tissue, medical implant and device, and sensors. Invitees also discussed educational needs and broader impacts for this "next generation" manufacturing. Investment in bio/nano manufacturing will present rewards for country to keep manufacturing here in early years (harder to keep as mature industry). Unit processes will always reach maturity – no differentiation for bio/nano manufacturing. Next level of progress for unit processes is integration of unit operations in bio/nano supply chain. To meet these grand challenges and enable benefits to the society there is immense need of skilled workforce. There is a need to educate teachers about engineering and manufacturing, in particular and skills to teach ability to students for "practicing inventions and innovations" and entrepreneurship. For competitive workforce, subject barriers need to come down for example through joint courses among disciplines and at the same time engineering salaries need to be competitive for evident leadership, scholarship and competitiveness. There needs to be certain training essential to communicate in a lucid manner where trained workforce can raise excitement about helping the world, ex. "sustainable manufacturing." Group agreed on clear need on how we educate the congress, funding agencies and individuals and the public about the importance of funding this work for scientific and engineering competitiveness, new job creation and wealth generation to maintain quality of life. The "2011 International Workshop on Bio/Nano-manufacturing and Integration" is the second workshop after the 2005 International Workshop on "Biomanufacturing" in Tsinghua, both were jointly funded by US National Science Foundation (NSF) and Chinese Natural Science Foundation (NSFC). This workshop envisions that integrated bio/nano manufacturing will be an emerging discipline combining traditional engineering and life science. It is believed that the success of this international workshop will promote the synergy and collaboration between manufacturing science, nano technology and life sciences, and will facilitate integration and innovation in the field of bio/nano technology.
