Tissue Engineering, 2nd Edition

Chapter 12

Bioreactors

Enabling Technologies for Research and Manufacturing

M. Adelaide Asnaghi¹, Timothy Smith², Ivan Martin¹,  and David Wendt^1     1Departments of Surgery and of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland     ²Octane Medical Group, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss the role of bioreactors in tissue engineering from basic research to automated tissue manufacturing. In particular, we highlight their functions as (1) enabling tools for tissue engineers, overcoming the limitations of conventional manual cell/tissue culture techniques, and for improving the quality of engineered tissues; (2) three-dimensional in vitro model systems, to recapitulate the specific aspects of the in vivo milieu ...