Biomimetic 3D Printing Materials

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in bio-inspired additive manufacturing (AM), highlighting how principles derived from natural systems can inform the design, processing, and functionality of next-generation engineered materials and structures. Nature offers powerful strategies for achieving hierarchical organization, multifunctionality, adaptability, and efficiency, attributes that are increasingly accessible through modern AM technologies.

We invite original research and review articles that integrate biomimetic concepts with additive manufacturing of polymers, polymer-based composites, ceramics, and hybrid materials. Contributions may address bio-inspired structural architectures, graded and hierarchical designs, functional surface patterning, and material formulations that emulate natural systems. Particular emphasis is placed on light-based and extrusion-based AM, where precise control over geometry, material placement, and local properties enables new levels of bio-inspired functionality.

This Special Issue also welcomes studies exploring applications of bio-inspired AM in emerging areas such as soft robotics, biomedical devices, tissue scaffolds, sensors, and energy systems, where adaptability and multifunctional performance are critical. Experimental, analytical, and computational approaches are all encouraged. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives, this Special Issue aims to showcase how bio-inspired design, combined with additive manufacturing, can drive transformative advances in materials science and engineering.

Dr. Erina Baynojir Joyee
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.