(6ae) 3D Printed Bioelectronics for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Innovating soft materials and fabrication strategies for 3D bioelectronic devices, with a special emphasis on biomaterial-based and cell-integrated electronics for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Bioelectronic devices serve as an interaction platform between humans and biology. Devices can be used to monitor biological states, such as part of diagnostics, lab-on-chip devices, wearable health tracking, or can be used to influence biology, as assistive devices or therapy in applications such as brain-machine interfaces and rehabilitation neuroprosthetics. Bioelectronic devices are already widely used in hospitals for wearable vital sign monitoring as well as implantable devices (e.g. pacemakers, cochlear implants). New and increased uses of these devices will continue to grow and impact healthcare and biological sciences as advances in materials and devices are made.

As faculty, I will innovate materials and fabrication strategies to build next-generation bioelectronic devices, devices that achieve seamless interfacing by blurring the lines between what is biologic and what is electronic. The Rutz Laboratory will use tissue engineering and biomaterial approaches to design new, soft and hydrated materials for bioelectronic device fabrication. The Rutz Lab will also explore the use of additive manufacturing for achieving unique 3D device formats as well as co-printing cells alongside electronic inks for biological-integration achieved at the fabrication stage.

Teaching Interests:

I have been very active in research mentorship and have advised 17 diverse students to-date, including 9 graduate students and supervising 2 undergraduate theses. I have teaching experience in biomedical engineering and chemistry, including lab and course development, guest lecturing, teaching assistance, and tutoring. As faculty, I am looking forward to teaching introductory and advanced courses on topics of chemistry and biology for engineers, biomaterials/soft materials, and tissue engineering. I am especially interested in developing coursework that explores synthesis, characterization, fabrication and application of materials for medical devices, biomaterials, biotechnology, and bioelectronics.

Research Experience:

Postdoctoral Research: “Liquid-infused elastomers for implantable bioelectronic devices”

Advisor: Prof. George G. Malliaras, Electrical Engineering, University of Cambridge

11/2016-Present

Implantable electronics are a class of medical devices of unrealized potential for monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of health and disease. In long-term implantations, device efficacy can diminish due to several factors including significant surgical trauma, an aggressive foreign body response, and poor material compatibility with the biological milieu. I have investigated liquid-infused elastomers as a new material for bioelectronics. These materials yield a slippery, hydrophobic surface, and I have explored how these unique material properties could be advantageous for bioelectronic devices. I have shown that these materials are biocompatible, reduce biofouling in vivo and reduce insertion trauma.

Additionally, I have written, advised, and collaborated on several other projects. These include synthesis and application of fluorogels, synthesis of shear-thinning conducting polymer hydrogels, direct write fiber drawing of conducting polymers, and additive manufacturing of stretchable electronics. All of which capture my continued research interests in developing new materials and fabrication methods for bioelectronic devices.

Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering: “Engineering hydrogel inks for 3D tissue and organ printing”

Advisor: Prof. Ramille N. Shah, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

09/2011-08/2016

3D printing is a powerful manufacturing method that may herald fabrication of complex tissues and organs for transplantation and tissue models. However, a severe limitation to future growth of 3D tissue printing is the lack of printable biomaterials, “inks”. In my doctoral research, I invented a single ink method that can be used to synthesize over 100 natural and synthetic hydrogel inks of customizable material properties and ideal printing dynamics. The method was also extended to biorthogonal reactions to optimize post-printed cell viability, and rheology was used to define ink “printability”. I also developed a second ink method and scaffolds for the engineering of an ovary bioprosthesis. Most excitingly, when implanted into mice with surgically removed ovaries, the ovary bioprosthesis restored organ function as observed by the live births of healthy pups, lactation and estrous cycling.

B.S. in Chemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL

Thesis: “Hyperbranched polyglycerol for drug delivery”

Advisor: Prof. Steven C. Zimmerman, Chemistry

08/2008-05/2011

Selection of Funding and Publications:

Fellowships:

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowship (€183,000 EUR), 2018-2020

Whitaker International Post-doctoral Scholarship ($100,000 USD), 2016-2018

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship ($150,000 USD), 2013-2016

Grants:

University of Cambridge Engineering for Clinical Practices Grant (£10,000 GBP), 2018

Whitaker International Program’s Concluding Initiative Grant ($50,000 USD), 2018

Publications:

E. Zeglio, A.L. Rutz, T.E. Winkler, G.G. Malliaras, A. Herland. “Conjugated polymers for assessing and controlling biological functions,” Advanced Materials 2019, 1806712.

J. Pas, A.L. Rutz, P.P. Quilichini, A. Slézia, A. Ghestem, A. Kaszas, M. Donahue, V. Curto, R.P. O’Connor, C. Bernard, A. Williamson and G.G. Malliaras. “A bilayered PVA/PLGA-bioresorbable shuttle to improve the implantation of flexible neural probes,” Journal of Neural Engineering 2018 15 (6), 065001.

A.L. Rutz, P.L. Lewis, R.N. Shah. “Toward next-generation bioinks: tuning material properties pre- and post-printing to optimize cell viability,” MRS Bulletin 2017, 42.

A.L. Rutz* and M.M. Laronda*, K.A. Whelan, E.W. Roth, T.K. Woodruff, R.N. Shah. “A bioprosthetic ovary created using 3D printed microporous scaffolds restores ovarian function in sterilized mice,” Nature Communications 2017, 8. ** Article featured on CNN, FOX, CBS, TIME, BBC, NPR and others. Altmetric score = 2241. Times cited = 127

A.L. Rutz, K.E. Hyland, A.E. Jakus, W.R. Burghardt, R. N. Shah. “A multi-material bioink method for 3D printing tunable and cell-compatible hydrogels,” Advanced Materials, 2015, 27 (9) 1607-1614. **Times cited = 217