Bioengineering Human Embryo and Organ Models

Abstract:
Early human development remains largely mysterious and challenging to study. In this talk, I will describe our efforts to harness human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and bioengineering approaches to create controllable models of human peri-gastrulation development and early organogenesis. These models recapitulate key in vivo developmental landmarks, including amniotic cavity formation, amniotic ectoderm-epiblast patterning, primordial germ cell specification, embryonic germ layer organization, yolk sac formation, and primitive hematopoiesis. Our current work focuses on using these controllable models as experimental platforms to dissect the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying cell fate decisions, tissue patterning, and self-organization during human peri-gastrulation.

I will also discuss our application of bioengineering tools and hPSCs to model critical aspects of early human neural development, including neural patterning in both brain and spinal cord regions, along rostrocaudal and dorsoventral axes. Ongoing projects further aim to model key features of human heart and gut tube development, as well as somitogenesis. Together, these efforts have established a suite of bioengineered human embryo and organ models with in vivo-like spatiotemporal cell differentiation and organization, providing powerful platforms for studying human development, physiology, and disease.

Bio:
Dr. Jianping Fu is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan whose research bridges bioengineering, stem cell biology, and developmental biology to advance understanding of human development and disease. He is internationally recognized for pioneering work in “Artificial Embryos,” named one of MIT Technology Review’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2018 and “the Method of 2023” by Nature Methods. Dr. Fu has received major awards from the National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). He is an elected Fellow of AAAS, AIMBE, RSC, ASME, IAMBE, and BMES, and serves on the Governing Council of IAMBE. In addition to his research, Dr. Fu has been deeply engaged in scientific leadership and service. He served on the ISSCR Guidelines Working Group and now chairs the ISSCR Scientific Programs Committee. In recognition of his service, he received the ISSCR Public Service Award in 2025. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of npj Regenerative Medicine and serves on editorial boards of several journals including Cell Stem Cell and Biophysical Journal.