סמינר מחלקתי מאת ניר אמונה

"Toward Predictive Tissue Engineering: Mechanical Principles for the Design of Adaptive Systems"

Dr. Nir Emuna - Yale University

Abstract:

Tissue engineering has achieved high geometric fidelity in bioprinted constructs. Functional performance in load-bearing tissues, however, remains difficult to predict. Designs are commonly refined empirically, and quantitative criteria for pressure generation, flow regulation, and compliance are rarely derived from first principles. This gap reflects not a limitation of manufacturing capability, but the absence of a mechanics-driven design paradigm typical of established engineering disciplines.

Living constructs can be treated as engineered systems governed by continuum mechanics under coupled multiphysics constraints. When material properties, anisotropy, architecture, and active stress generation are linked explicitly to performance metrics, feasible design regions can be defined prior to fabrication.

In this talk, I examine the design of a pulsatile vascular conduit intended to augment circulation in children with single-ventricle heart anatomy. Prior regenerative efforts have demonstrated biological feasibility but have struggled to generate sufficient pressure to drive flow. The conduit is formulated as a continuum mechanical system composed of a passive structural matrix with embedded contractile elements representing seeded cardiomyocytes. The design is constrained by anatomy and physiological shortening. Parametric exploration defines the admissible design space, and the resulting properties are integrated into a lumped-parameter circulation model to evaluate system-level hemodynamic performance.

The results show that functional performance can be derived from mechanical formulation rather than tuned empirically. By quantifying sensitivity to biomanufacturing tolerances, the framework guides architectural decisions before fabrication and reduces experimental exploration. More broadly, regenerative medicine increasingly demands the rigor of engineering design that defines established disciplines. Integrating mechanical principles into tissue engineering is therefore essential for its maturation from empirical fabrication to predictive, model-driven engineering of living systems.

Bio:

Dr. Emuna earned his B.Sc., M.Sc. (summa cum laude), and Ph.D. from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He held postdoctoral appointments at the Technion (Materials Science and Engineering) and at Yale University (Biomedical Engineering), where he developed theoretical and experimental frameworks linking vascular mechanics, growth and remodeling, and device design.

Monday, March 23rd 2026 at 14:00 Wolfson Building of Mechanical Engineering,
Room 206