MIE and Riccio CoE Reinforce Commitment to Expanding Manufacturing Capabilities with $1.58 Million Grant

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MIE’s Govind Srimathveeravalli, MIE’s Sunandita Sarker, and director of ADDFab Dave Follette

Assistant Professor Sunandita Sarker of the UMass Amherst Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) Department is the principal investigator on a $1.58-million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) to acquire a cutting-edge 3D printing system for precision nano-scale polymber and bio-fabrication. This equipment was acquired in collaboration with the Advanced Digital Design and Fabrication Core Facility (ADDFab) within the Institute of Applied Life Sciences (IALS). Medical Device Research and Associate Professor Govind Srimathveeravalli and ADDFab core director Dave Follette are co-principal investigators on this award. 

The MIE department and the Riccio College of Engineering (Riccio CoE) have recognized the vital role of manufacturing in sustaining Western Massachusetts, which has resulted in institutional investments in recruiting faculty with expertise in manufacturing, establishing masters’ programs, and infrastructure. This award reflects further progress on this mission, with support from the MSLC. 

According to the MLSC, its mission is “accelerating medical breakthroughs, scientific education, research opportunities, and workforce expansion through a global ecosystem of private and public alliances.” See About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC).

Sarker explains that the new technology will significantly expand the university’s research, training, and industry-collaboration capabilities in manufacturing. The keystone equipment of this new infrastructure is a direct-laser-writing 3D printer and related characterization tools that will accelerate this mission at the intersection of medical technology development and manufacturing. 

Sarker says that the new infrastructure addition to the ADDFab facility, a collaborative investment by the Riccio CoE and the IALS, “brings a unique biomedical manufacturing capability to Western Massachusetts, with strong interest from both industry and academic partners.” See UMass News Office release: https://www.umass.edu/news/article/umass-amherst-receives-36-million-massachusetts-life-sciences-center-expand-life.

As Sarker says, the so-called “UpNano NanoOneBio machine will be the centerpiece of this [ADDFab] facility upgrade, which will enable meso-, micro-, and submicron-scale manufacturing of devices with unparalleled geometric versatility and high-feature resolutions at rapid production.” 

Sarker explains that adding this technology will produce the miniaturization of medical devices to reduce patient trauma in adults and will allow the customization of such devices for pediatric patients. In addition, the new technology will enable the manufacture of advanced biosensors and wearables with new capabilities and provide sophisticated research tools integrating bioelectronic, nanophotonic, and microfluidic capabilities.

According to the News Office release, “The system enables the fabrication of complex three-dimensional structures with submicron precision, allowing applications that were previously impossible with conventional manufacturing techniques. Researchers will be able to produce biocompatible polymers, hydrogels, and functional microdevices for use in biomedical devices, biosensors, micro-robotics, and organ-on-chip models.”

The News Office report concludes that new 3D-printing system will also support regional economic development by expanding access to precision fabrication for startups and small businesses, while serving as a training hub for undergraduate and graduate students and external users. (February 2026)