3D Printing, an overview. A dialogue with Jos Malda.

The Bassetti Foundation is pleased to publish video of the lecture held by Professor Jos Malda at the Bassetti Foundation in May 2017.

Malda presented his work at the University of Utrecht in biofabrication using 3D printing technology, addressing many issues surrounding biofabrication and design, describing the current situation in the field and the challenges faced in the 3D printing of living organisms.

Malda describes the goal of his work through a question; how can we teach the body to repair itself? He describes the aim as that of regeneration, explaining that he uses printing technology to print living tissues. He discusses the advantages of such technology, such as speed and personalization and freedom of design, but also the technological and societal challenges that need to be discussed.

Malda explains his work in detail, explaining how far we have come in the possibility of printing body parts and living implants and the importance of ethics and responsibility within the field.

Prof. Jos Malda heads a multidisciplinary research group that focuses on biofabrication and biomaterials design, in particular for the regeneration of (osteo) chondral defects.
The team is investigating regenerative means for repairing damaged joints, with particular interest in the knee. He works alongside and within both the medical and veterinary facilities at Utrecht University, studying both animal and human wear on joints and have designed and built a production facility that allows for the 3D printing of living cells, to make live repair patches that can be implanted.
His research group is particularly active in the development of bio inks, materials that can be 3D-printed and can act as scaffolds to foster the production of living complex structures, like tissues and organs.

Last year, Prof. Malda was the recipient of the Nanonica Prize, an award given by Nanonica Europe S.L. for the breakthrough innovation in Nanotechnology.
In 2016 Nanonica Prize was enriched through the inclusion of the Responsible Research and Innovation Special Mention, thanks to the collaboration of the Bassetti Foundation.

Prof. Malda is also the recipient of a highly prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant, the President of the International Society for Biofabrication and a world leader in his field.

The public and open presentation had preceeds Malda’s speech the following morning as part of the workshop “Industrial Dialogue”, organized in Milan by Bassetti Foundation. The workshop event had held in the framework of the EU Horizon2020 project SMART-map, aiming at bringing responsible innovation to industry in three game-changing topics: synthetic biology, precision medicine and additive manufacturing in biomedicine.

Here some photos

Jos Malda is professor of Translational Regenerative Medicine and Head of Research at the Department of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht. Malda’s research group focuses on biofabrication and biomaterials design, in particular for the regeneration of (osteo) chondral defects, developing novel biofabriaction strategies, as well and bioinks for 3D printing. Malda is Head of the Utrecht Biofabrication Facility, President of the International Society for Biofabrication (ISBF), member of the General Board of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) and was co-chair of the international Conference on Biofabrication 2015.