William & Mary Bioengineering Lab
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3D Printing
3D Printing in the Bioengineering Lab
The 3D printers in the Bioengineering Lab are available to trained faculty and students who wish to use them in their bioengineering research. They have been used for various student projects, biology courses, and faculty research.
Faculty research
Using computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D printing for biomimetics in the Bioengineering Lab, Professor Laurie Sanderson and students explore how filter-feeding fish such as menhaden, carp, and tilapia extract tiny prey from massive volumes of water. Their discoveries provide insights on the important ecological roles of these fish, aid in conservation efforts, and contribute to improved approaches in industrial filtration engineering. Based on this research, a patent for a novel filter design was issued to the College in 2016.
3D Printing in Courses
There are several courses that give students the opportunity to explore biology through the use of 3D printing, such as Molecular Cell Biology and Vertebrate Biology Laboratory.
Student Projects
Several students in Vertebrate Biology Laboratory choose to use 3D printing in their course projects. Two examples of student research projects are shown below.