Jan 02, 2025 
Eric Bennett is a serial entrepreneur with expertise developing advanced technologies. Prior to Frontier Bio, he was the CTO at Aether, producing low-cost, feature-rich bioprinters. His extensive scientific background covers brain-computer interfacing, optogenetics, microfluidics, DNA assembly, in addition to bioprinting. He earned a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, with his research centering on the use of optogenetics and brain-computer interfacing to study and mitigate neural disorders. Eric is committed to creating transformative technologies that push the frontier of what’s possible. Eric will pitch at our Pitch3D Demo Day on Jan 9th, 2025.
When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like? What were you thinking at that moment?
Eric: My first encounter with 3D printing was during my master’s in biomedical engineering, where I designed a brain-computer interface system to detect seizures in animals and deliver optogenetic stimulation to stop the seizures in real-time. I used high-resolution 3D printing to create precise housings for electrodes, a PCB, and fiber optics, enabling micro-positioning in the rodent brain. This experience sparked my love for 3D printing but also exposed me to animal studies for the first time—a part of the work I did not enjoy. While I performed neurosurgeries and gene therapy procedures myself, the experience nudged me toward exploring technologies that could reduce reliance on animal studies with a more humane and accurate alternative.
What inspired you to start your journey in 3D bioprinting?
Eric: I’ve always been driven by the desire to create something transformative—turning science fiction into reality. As 3D printing technology became more accessible, affordable, precise, and versatile with a growing range of materials, I realized its ultimate potential lay in creating living tissues. The idea of combining cutting-edge engineering with biology to address some of the biggest challenges in medicine was what truly inspired me to embark on this journey.
Who inspired you along this journey in 3D bioprinting?
Eric: Three people who have deeply inspired me are George Church, Shinya Yamanaka, and Jennifer Doudna.
George Church has been a guiding light for his relentless pursuit of pushing the boundaries of science in ethical and transformative ways. His pioneering work in synthetic biology and genomics inspires me to think boldly and explore what might seem impossible.
During my time at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, I was delighted to learn I’d be working in the same building as Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka. His discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has revolutionized regenerative medicine and laid the groundwork for advancements in regenerative medicine. Later, Jennifer Doudna, another Nobel laureate, also established her lab at Gladstone. Her groundbreaking work on CRISPR gene-editing has transformed the possibilities of biotechnology and continues to inspire my vision for innovation.
Having their input and support has been instrumental in helping me advance toward ambitious goals.
What motivates you the most for your work?
Eric: The future won’t build itself and I’m motivated to be part of creating it. I’m driven by the potential to make a meaningful impact on the lives of millions.
What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Eric: A major obstacle in 3D bioprinting is replicating the complexity of real tissue in a way that leads to functional tissue. Precisely placing every cell in its ideal location is impractical, especially when the number of cell types in a single tissue can be hundreds. To address this, we’ve developed an innovative approach that combines 3D bioprinting with self-assembly, enabling stem cells to grow and pattern themselves into the desired tissue. We’ve successfully demonstrated this with our recent lung bioprinting breakthrough where bioprinted stem cells formed branching, repeating structures like alveoli. We envision using this proprietary method to create other tissues with repeating structures, such as the kidney and liver, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in regenerative medicine.
What do you think is the biggest challenge in 3D bioprinting? What do you think is the potential solution?
Eric: The biggest challenge in 3D bioprinting is ensuring that the tissue we create doesn’t just look like the real thing but also functions like it. Rather than manually recreating every detail, the key lies in enabling cells to take over the complex process of forming the tissue themselves, much like they do during natural development. This principle has been central to our approach, as seen in our recent work with bioprinted lung tissue made of actual human cells, not just a hydrogel in the shape of lung tissue.
If you were granted three wishes by a higher being, what would they be?
Eric: Double it, pass it to the next person. I don’t take handouts!
What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world?” What bad advice have you heard that they should ignore?
Eric: To the smart driven college student: don’t optimize for good grades. Work on something outside of your regular schoolwork like: join a research lab, intern at a startup, compete in competitions like iGEM or Hackathons, etc. You’ll learn things you can’t learn in your regular coursework. It may sound like bad advice, but for some people, it may actually make sense to drop out and start a company (seek advice first – I’m happy to help!).
Also, life is short, don’t be afraid to take bold risks and aim high.
Regarding bad advice college students should ignore: I don’t classify advice as inherently bad or good. If advice seems bad, probing it a bit more and truly understanding the perspective its coming from usually reveals if its applicable. “Bad” advice may be “good” in other contexts. Seek out diverse opinions, especially opposing ones, and critically evaluate them for your situation.
Think of it like playing chess: every piece of advice you receive is like a suggested move from someone observing the board—but they can only see part of the board. They don’t know your full strategy, the threats you’re anticipating, or the opportunities you’re setting up. Their advice might be brilliant in isolation but could backfire in the context of your overall game. Step back, consider the varied perspectives, and ultimately trust yourself as the player making the final call.
What’s your favorite book you read this year and why?
Eric: My favorite book I read this year is Replacing Aging by Jean M. Hébert (previously a researcher at Stanford, UCSF, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine). It resonated with me because it explores how advancements in regenerative medicine could enable us to live longer, healthier lives by replacing aged tissues and organs with newly lab-grown ones, even brain tissue, which I hadn’t deeply considered before. The book aligns with my belief that science can dramatically improve our quality of life as we age. Hébert’s approach is ambitious and is rooted in tangible innovations, and it inspires me to think about how regenerative technologies might one day tackle some of the biggest challenges in medicine.
Related Links:
Interview with Evan Eckersley: Icarus Medical Innovations
Interview with Dr. Jeong Hun Park: Auxetics For Soft Tissue Engineering
Interview with Julien Payen: Lattice Medical
Interview with Dr. Mohammad Albanna: Humabiologics
Comments