Tissue engineering

This branch of science uses cell biology and biomedical engineering methods to develop ways to improve or replace different types of tissue. A tissue is made up of a group of cells that have the same function and structure; a group of different tissues working together make up an organ. Tissue engineering is used in sectors like regenerative medicine or cellular agriculture. Growing one type of cell in a laboratory setting takes place in a cell culture flask and in 2D, tissue engineering allows for the incorporation of scaffolds and other biomaterials to create 3D structures. Often complex structures must be designed to serve important roles in medicine, for example tissue engineered heart valves which can save the lives of many people with valvular heart disease.