Talk as part of a colloquium in Polymer chemistry and technology.

Summary: Engineered living materials are biosystems that integrate synthetic polymers with live cells to create biological function, offering powerful new tools for mitigating societal challenges such as global warming and population ageing. This talk presents how microstructured hydrogels, combined with advanced polymer chemistries, enable precise control of 3D living materials at small scales. I highlight innovations in photopolymerization induced phase separation, high speed two photon nano biofabrication, and volumetric photodynamic 3D tissue bioprinting. These technologies underpin human bone organoids, disease on chip platforms, and clinically relevant biomaterials. Together, they demonstrate how engineered living materials can bridge polymer chemistry with medical innovation to advance human health.