Dalton, PaulGallagher, DaphneeKurtz, Amanda2023-08-182023https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2874969 pagesThe field of tissue engineering (TE) works to produce artificial replicas of tissues and organs for clinical applications. To achieve this ambitious outcome, TE works at the interface of biology, engineering, and medicine to produce reasonable substitutes. Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, allows for the production of porous 3D structures, termed scaffolds, to replace previously 2D models of cell culture study for TE. Within AM, melt electrowriting advances the resolution possible through its unique fabrication of high precision, micron thin fibers. These microfibers are applicable on a biological scale and allow for the formation of highly porous scaffold structures for cell culture studies. The polymer used in this thesis is poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) which, with its low melting point, rapid solidification, and biocompatibility, is the gold-standard for MEW. PCL, however, is limited in its efficacy for 3D cell culture due to its hydrophobic nature, resulting in poor cell attachment. A possible solution to this limitation is with a hydrophilic hydrogel coating, such as poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA). Prior to implementation in TE studies, it must be understood how pHEMA coats these scaffolds and whether this coating interferes with important cell culture techniques. This thesis therefore investigates the relevance of the combination of these two materials from a coating and cell culture standpoint.en-USCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Hydrogel3D printingTissue engineeringCell cultureMelt electrowritingThesis/Dissertation0009-0003-7171-2160