About this Research Topic
In the last 20 years, bioinspiration has increasingly driven the development and production of biomimetic structures suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. By learning from nature, several technologies were developed aiming to reproduce the structure and biomechanical properties of biological tissues from the nano- up to the macro- scale. Among other techniques, electrospinning is one of the most promising to reproduce the complex multiscale nanofibrous structures of biological tissues. Moreover, electrospun scaffolds and devices have left their typical 2D simplified arrangement, allowing the production of a new generation of 3D-organized morphologies faithfully resembling the hierarchical structure and performances of complex organs and skeletal muscle tissues. Furthermore, the development of these new nanostructured materials requires the application and improvement of consolidated investigation techniques to evaluate them from multiple points of view, such as morphology, mechanical properties, or cell viability. Such dedicated investigation techniques include high-resolution x-ray tomography, correlative microscopy, digital volume/image correlation or dynamic cultures in advanced bioreactors.
These innovative electrospun designs cover an extremely wide range of cutting-edge research fields such as bioengineering, tissue engineering, soft-robotics, advanced actuation systems, and sensors . In this Research Topic, we strongly encourage researchers to submit works that describes advanced biomimetic electrospun structures for bioengineering applications and for other advanced biomedical applications, and methods for their characterization, in particular:
1) 3D electrospinning strategies to mimic natural tissues
2) Development of technologies to scale-up the hierarchical complexity of electrospun structures
3) Innovative techniques to investigate the bioinspired electrospun structures morphology
4) Innovative strategies to study the bioinspired electrospun structures mechanical properties
5) Cutting-edge field of applications for biomimetic electrospun materials
6) Advanced in vitro and in vivo applications of biomimetic electrospun structures
Drs. Cristofolini, Focarete, Ramakrishna and Zucchelli hold patents related to electrospinning and bioinspired materials.
Dr. Alberto Sensini (University of Bologna, ITA): Co-ordinator for the project.
Keywords: Electrospinning, Bioinspired Structures, Biomaterials, Bioengineering, Advanced Biomedical Applications
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
