Bioengineering sits at the vibrant intersection of biology and engineering, where scientists design new tools to understand life and solve real-world problems. From creating artificial organs to developing smart materials that mimic natural tissues, this field turns complex biological questions into tangible innovations that improve human health and our environment.

At Gist.Science, we track every new preprint in this category directly from bioRxiv. Our team processes each submission to provide both plain-language explanations for curious minds and detailed technical summaries for researchers, ensuring these cutting-edge discoveries are accessible to everyone. Below are the latest papers in bioengineering that have recently appeared on bioRxiv.

📄 bioengineering

Engineered Vibrio natriegens lysate can replace multiple components of cell culture media

This study demonstrates that a lysate from FGF2-expressing engineered *Vibrio natriegens* can simultaneously replace both fetal bovine serum and recombinant FGF2 in cell culture media, enabling cost-effective, sustainable, and high-performance cultivation of bovine muscle cells for meat production.

Dolgin, J., Vaid, A., Hendrixson, D., Cai, Y., Cheung, L. K. Y., Xu, L., Kaplan, D. L., Nair, N. U.2026-04-12
📄 bioengineering

Simulation-guided design of exotendons to reduce the energetic cost of running

This study demonstrates that while a muscle-driven simulation framework successfully guided the selection of exotendon designs that reduced energetic cost at high running speeds, the specific parameters predicted to maximize savings did not translate to significant experimental improvements, highlighting the need to account for individual variability when developing assistive running devices.

Stingel, J., Bianco, N., Ong, C., Collins, S., Delp, S., Hicks, J.2026-04-10
📄 bioengineering

Thermodynamic phase-field modelling predicts non-linear evolution of tumour spheroid dynamics

This study introduces a three-dimensional thermodynamic phase-field framework that successfully models patient-derived tumour spheroid dynamics by quantitatively capturing nutrient-limited growth and mechanical evolution, demonstrating predictive accuracy comparable to established models while uniquely resolving internal mechanical structures not directly observable in experiments.

McNamara, R., Monsalve-Bravo, G. M., Stein, S. R., Francis, G. D., Allenby, M. C.2026-04-10
📄 bioengineering

A Rapidly Excretable, ROS-Scavenging Ionizable Lipid Decouples mRNA Delivery Potency from Toxicity

This study introduces a novel class of ionizable lipids featuring a sulfur-bearing HHES motif that simultaneously scavenges reactive oxygen species and enables rapid metabolic clearance, thereby decoupling mRNA delivery potency from toxicity and demonstrating safe, effective therapeutic outcomes in both systemic and subretinal applications.

Lee, Y., Jeong, H., Kim, E., Hwang, Y., Byeon, Y., Kang, H., Choi, M. S., Jeong, E. H., Kwak, J. H., Kang, M.-S., Kim, O (…)2026-04-09
📄 bioengineering

Adapting Upright Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy for Imaging at Air-Liquid Interface

This paper presents a custom device that enables robust light sheet fluorescence microscopy imaging of biological specimens requiring an air-liquid interface, demonstrated through successful applications on mouse salivary glands, human skin cultures, and fruit fly brains.

Hobson, C. M., Izumi, K., Aaron, J. S., Bharathan, N. K., Ceriani, M. F., Giang, W., Ispizua, J. I., Kowalczyk, A. P., L (…)2026-04-09
📄 bioengineering

Microfluidic Control of Dorsal-Ventral Patterning Within a Single Forebrain Organoid

This study introduces a microfluidic platform that enables the co-development of distinct dorsal and ventral forebrain identities within a single, continuous organoid by delivering localized Sonic hedgehog signaling, thereby offering a scalable alternative to organoid fusion for studying brain regionalization.

Torres-Montoya, S., Vera-Choqqueccota, S., Seiler, S. T., Haussler, D., Salama, S. R., Mostajo-Radji, M. A., Teodorescu (…)2026-04-08
📄 bioengineering

Mechanical, rheological, and sensory characterization of lion's mane mushroom steak

This study characterizes the mechanical, rheological, and sensory properties of minimally processed lion's mane mushroom steak, demonstrating its favorable meat-like texture and establishing a significant inverse correlation between its measured physical stiffness and perceived softness to support its development as a whole-cut alternative protein.

St. Pierre, S. R., Boyle, L., Vervenne, T., Darwin, E. C., Goodson, M. A., Palomares, M., Zhang, N., Kuhl, E.2026-04-07