Singapore has long nurtured its biotech sector through various public sector initiatives such as Biopolis, a research hub for Biomedical Sciences set up by state-owned real estate company JTC Corp. The latest government-driven initiative has now emerged adjacent to Biopolis in the form of the National University of Singapore Centre for Additive Manufacturing (or AM.NUS). The new center will also leverage NUS’ expertise from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Dentistry and the School of Design and Environment to boost the university’s capabilities in the field of AM-enabled biomedical technology.
With an initial funding of $13.2 million from NUS, Singapore’s National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the center is tasked with developing customizable surgical instruments, simulators and prosthetics for educating the next generation of doctors as well as simplifying difficult clinical tasks; exploring use of AM-enabled drug formulations and individualized control of dosage/ drug release using 3D printing-enabled customized medicine; studying new bio-printing solutions to regenerate and replace damaged tissues by using advanced materials and scaffold printing techniques, combined with tissue engineering; exploring functional printing and developing ceramic and metal AM materials and processes in order to bring novel and more biocompatible implants to market; and leading educational efforts in advanced computer-aided oral surgery and surgical planning. The center will also lead research on the use of AM in dental implant design and tissue engineering.