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Tissues and organs exhibit distinct shapes and functions nurtured by vascular connectivity.In order to mimic and examine these intricate structure-function relationships, it is necessary to develop efficient strategies for assembling tissue-like constructs.Many of the top-down fabrication techniques used to build microelectromechanical systems, including photolithography, are attractive due to the similar feature sizes, but are not suitable for delicate biological systems or aqueous environments. A layer-by layer approach has been proposed by us to pattern functional cell structures in three dimensions. Freeform cell structures are created by the inkjet method, in which cells are entrapped within hydrogels and crosslinked on demand. The cells are viable, functional and show potential for cell maturation as exemplified by the diversion of hematopoietic stem cells into multiple cell types. These results show promise for many tissue engineering applications.

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