The Second International Workshop on Bioprinting, Biopatterning and Bioassembly

The Second International Workshop on Bioprinting, Biopatterning and Bioassembly was held at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), located in the beautiful, historic city of Charleston. The workshop attracted > 50 participants from 10 different countries, including mechanical and chemical engineers, molecular, cell and developmental biologists, biophysicists, mathematicians, clinicians, humanists and artists. Bioprinting can be defined as computer-aided, automatic, layer-by-layer deposition, transfer and patterning of biologically relevant materials. The workshop goal was to gather the world's experts and leaders, present the latest results, assess future trends, explore new applications, and promote international collaborations and academic-industrial partnerships. The workshop demonstrated the multidisciplinary and global character of ongoing efforts in the development of bioprinting technology, galvanised an evolving community of bioprintists, and demonstrated feasibility as well as strong potential for a broad spectrum of applications of bioprinting technology. The Third International Workshop on Bioprinting, Biopatterning and Bioassembly is planned for Japan in 2006.