Collective Dynamics in Biological and Social Systems

Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations of Multicellular Aggregate Self-assembly in Biofabrication

Yi Sun

University of South Carolina

We present a three-dimensional lattice model to study self-assembly and fusion of multicellular aggregate systems by using kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations. This model is developed to describe and predict the time evolution of postprinting morphological structure formation during tissue or organ maturation in a novel biofabrication process (or technology) known as bioprinting. In this new technology, live multicellular aggregates as bio-ink are used to make tissue or organ constructs via the layer-by-layer deposition technique in biocompatible hydrogels; the printed bio-constructs embedded in the hydrogels are then placed in bioreactors to undergo the self-assembly process to form the desired functional tissue or organ products. Here we implement our model with an efficient KMC algorithm to simulate the making of a set of tissues/organs in several designer's geometries like a ring, a sheet and a tube, which can involve a large number of cells and various other support materials like agarose constructs etc. We also study the process of cell sorting/migration within the cellular aggregates formed by multiple types of cells with different adhesivities.