Laura Stoffels

Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London

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About

Laura Stoffels is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of biotechnology, architecture, and sustainable design, whose work reimagines how living organisms can be integrated into the built environment. Her primary research areas include large-scale bioprinting, algae-based living materials, and robotic fabrication for architectural applications. Stoffels’s most significant contribution is the development of a robotic extrusion technique for algae-laden hydrogels, enabling the creation of large-scale, custom-printed structures that immobilize microalgae for potential use in buildings and infrastructure. Her landmark 2019 paper, *Robotic Extrusion of Algae‐Laden Hydrogels for Large‐Scale Applications*, has garnered 75 citations, underscoring its influence in the emerging field of biofabrication. In this work, she characterized alginate-based hydrogels with varying rheology modifiers and water percentages, culminating in the fabrication of a 1000 × 500 mm fibrous panel—a milestone in additive biomanufacturing. This achievement, featured as a cover article in *Global Challenges* (2020), demonstrates her ability to bridge lab-scale science with real-world architectural prototypes. Stoffels’s research holds transformative potential for carbon-neutral construction, bioremediation, and living architecture, making her a key figure in the next generation of sustainable materials scientists.