Prof. YANG Huayong, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Zhejiang University and Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered the 12th PAIR Distinguished Lecture, titled “Biomanufacturing of Functional Tissues and Organs: Exploration and Progress”, on 2 January 2024. The hybrid lecture attracted over 130 participants joining in person and online from more than 20 countries and regions across Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. It was also broadcast live on multiple social media platforms, captivating a viewing online audience of over 14,500.
The lecture commenced with a warm welcome address by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of PAIR, followed by a brief speaker introduction by Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU. In his presentation, Prof. Yang highlighted the urgent need for tissue/organ biomanufacturing that has arisen from the shortage of donations for organ transplantation. He detailed several challenges in the in vitro manufacturing of tissues/organs, particularly in relation to accurate design, precise fabrication, and functional induction. These challenges underscore the great need for new methods of tissue/organ manufacturing. Next, Prof. Yang described the roadmap for biomanufacturing development and shared specific examples of the research progress in 3D bioprinting. In concluding his presentation, Prof. Yang shared his insights on future directions for biomanufacturing, as well as some significant accomplishments in the field by his team at Zhejiang University.
A question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. Wang followed. Both the online and on-site audiences had a fruitful discussion with Prof. Yang.
