On July 26, 2025, Dr. Kuang published a co-authored review paper titled “Acoustic Bioprinting: A Glimpse Into an Emerging Field“, in Small Methods. This review paper was selected as an Editor’s Choice, shedding light on the rapidly evolving field of acoustic bioprinting—an emerging approach that integrates the precision of acoustics with the versatility of 3D bioprinting.
Bioprinting has transformed tissue engineering by enabling the creation of biologically and physiologically relevant 3D structures. However, conventional techniques often face challenges in precisely controlling cell spatial organization within complex constructs. Acoustics, offering non-contact, label-free, high-precision manipulation, provides a powerful complementary tool—yet it has traditionally been limited in building intricate volumetric architectures.
This review highlights how the integration of acoustics into three major bioprinting modalities—droplet, light-polymerization, and extrusion—can dramatically enhance cell patterning, alignment, and bioink control, leading to more biomimetic and functional tissue models. The paper also explores novel ultrasound-polymerization-based techniques leveraging cavitation, sono-thermal effects, and liposome-mediated polymerization for deep-tissue biofabrication, expanding the horizons of regenerative medicine.
“By combining the spatial precision of acoustics with the structural versatility of bioprinting, we can design next-generation biofabrication strategies that were not previously possible,” we note.
This work offers an in-depth roadmap for harnessing acoustic fields to push the boundaries of tissue engineering, with potential applications spanning organ regeneration, disease modeling, and personalized medicine.