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Episode #115| Professor Paul Dalton: Inventing Melt Electrowriting and the Future of Biofabricationrication
Description
What does it take to invent a technology that didn't exist before?
In this episode, host Dr. Jenny Chen sits down with Professor Paul Dalton, the inventor of melt electrowriting (MEW) and one of the rare "triple threats" in science: an inventor, educator, and futurist. This is also a conversation about science, creativity, and why MEW isn't just a technology but a movement.
Paul takes us from a boredom-filled childhood on a rural farm outside Perth, Australia, to the ophthalmic research lab where he helped build artificial corneas that restored sight to blind patients. He shares the moment a failing electrospinning experiment pushed him toward MEW instead — and the "breathless" discovery under the microscope that became MEW.
Along the way, Jenny and Paul explore:
- What electrospinning and melt electrowriting actually are, explained in plain language
- Why MEW pulls fibers instead of pushing them, and how it prints at one-tenth of a teardrop per hour
- The decades-long pursuit of clinical applications
- The open-source "MEWron" printer is bringing MEW to labs for a fraction of the cost of commercial machines
- The two kinds of makers — builders vs. users — and where the community is heading
- Paul's advice for clinicians and newcomers entering biofabrication
Plus, a remarkable offer for listeners at the end of this episode.
YouTube recording: Coming soon
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