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About

Francesco Iacoponi is a leading researcher in the emerging field of biohybrid robotics and skeletal muscle tissue engineering. His work uniquely bridges the gap between living biological tissues and soft robotic systems, focusing on the development of bio-actuators powered by engineered skeletal muscle. Iacoponi’s major contributions include the design of a groundbreaking monolithic biohybrid flexure mechanism actuated by bioengineered skeletal muscle tissue (2025, 9 citations), which addresses the scalability and complexity limitations of traditional soft robotic actuators. He also developed a soft perfusable device for culturing 3D skeletal muscle constructs in air (2023, 6 citations), a critical innovation for creating biomimetic environments that support long-term muscle viability and function. These devices enable advanced in vitro models for both tissue engineering and muscle-powered biorobotics. Iacoponi’s work is pivotal in advancing the miniaturization and functional integration of living actuators, with his highly cited papers reflecting growing interest in sustainable, biologically-driven robotic systems. His achievements position him at the forefront of next-generation biohybrid technologies.