Biofabrication of Neural Organoids: An Experiential Learning Approach for Instructional Laboratories

Biomedical engineering (BME) is a multidisciplinary, constantly advancing field; as such, undergraduate programs in BME must continually adapt. Elective courses provide opportunities for students to select topic areas relevant to their interests or future careers. Specifically, laboratory courses allow experiential learning in specialized topics in a hands-on manner that is suitable and accessible to undergraduate students. In recent years, neural engineering has emerged as a research sub-specialty within BME, and students preparing to pursue careers in this field will require a broad range of fundamental and experiential training. We sought to demonstrate this possibility by implementing a neural tissue engineering module into an existing upper-level undergraduate biofabrication elective. Organoids, which are self-assembling aggregate cell culture models that mimic a tissue or organ in both function and structure, have been made more accessible by genetic tools and commercially available resources. These experimental tools can be incorporated into basic laboratory experiments to model neurological systems that are otherwise difficult to study. In this paper, we describe the execution of this new module in which teams followed an adapted protocol for producing human neural organoids and then designed and manufactured a 3D-printed 'solution' to a common problem in the fields of neural engineering and organoid research. Additionally, we include student feedback as well as advantages, disadvantages, and opportunities for improvement of this laboratory module in future implementations. Skills gained in this project-based setting could be beneficial in subsequent capstone design courses as well as translated into future courses or graduate research studies.