Our recent progress in the development of laser-based nanotechnologies for applications inphotonics and regenerative medicine will be reviewed. Fabrication of nanophotonic components by two-photon polymerization (2PP) of photostructurable materials; generation of nanoparticles by laser ablation and laser-induced transfer (LIT); possible applications of these techniques for the realization of plasmonic components, microfluidic devices, sensors, biomedical implants, and tissue engineering constructs will be discussed.

One of the most promising approaches in tissue engineering is the application of 3D scaffolds, which provide cell support and guidance in the initial tissue formation stage. The porosity of the scaffold and internal pore organization influence cell migration and play a major role in its biodegradation dynamics, nutrient diffusion, and mechanical stability. In order to control cell migration and cellular interactions within the scaffold, novel technologies capable of producing 3D structures according to predefined design are required. The 2PP technique, used here for the fabrication of scaffolds, allows realization of arbitrary 3D structures with submicron spatial resolution. Highly porous 3D scaffolds, produced by 2PP can be seeded with different cells using laser induced transfer. We demonstrate that with this technique printing of multiple cell types into 3D scaffolds is possible. Combination of LIT and 2PP provides a promising route for the realization of 3D multi-cellular tissue constructs.