Dr. Udi Sarig
01/08/2024
David Wang Auditorium, 3rd floor Dalia Meidan Bldg.
14:30
Tissue Engineering (TE) is an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of life sciences and engineering to develop biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or improve tissue function. The principal tissue engineering dogma relies on tissue-specific stem or progenitor cells to provide biological functionality, often supported by a biomaterial scaffold, of either natural or synthetic origin, and by dedicated bioreactor engineering— mimicking the physiological conditions in vitro. I will present my work on natural extracellular matrix (ECM) derived biomaterials focusing on the intricate and reciprocal cross-talk between these biomaterials, and various multi- and pluripotent stem and progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, the presented findings suggest that a biomimetic approach is imperative in order to overcome the challenges of generating functional complex tissues and organs. I will finally discuss the possible clinical and commercial applications for such a biomimetic approach in the context of my current research focus at Ariel University.