Additive Manufacturing of Bioinspired Bone Scaffolds for Digitally Enabled Rural Orthopedic Support and STEM Workforce Development in New Mexico

New Mexico experiences a high burden of bone injuries, trauma, and degenerative diseases that require complex orthopedic care, yet many rural and remote communities lack consistent access to orthopedic specialists. This project addresses that gap by developing chemically engineered, 3D-printed scaffolds that can be manufactured on demand and patient-specifically at or near the point of care from digitally shareable designs, reducing dependence on centralized supply chains while strengthening New Mexico’s capacity in chemical, biomedical engineering, and materials science. The research integrates polymer and inorganic chemistry with additive manufacturing (AM) to create polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds coated with bioinspired hydroxyapatite (HAp) precursors generated via a CO2-mineralization process mediated by the plant-derived polyphenol tannic acid (TA). In this study, we will design scaffolds with controlled porosity and mechanical properties, study the transformation of polyphenol-stabilized vaterite into HAp under simulated physiological conditions, and evaluate both the anti-inflammatory potential of TA–containing coatings and the use of antibiotics for localized drug release in contaminated or chronic bone defects relevant to delayed care in rural settings. This project aligns with New Mexico’s Science and Technology Plan priorities in biosciences and advanced manufacturing. It will engage undergraduate students from UNM and CNM in hands-on training in CAD, G-code generation, scaffold fabrication, mineralization, and materials characterization. The work will strengthen regional cyberinfrastructure, support scalable on-demand scaffold production, and help develop a diverse, highly skilled STEM workforce for New Mexico’s growing biosciences and advanced manufacturing sectors.