Stem cells offer tremendous biomedical potential owing to their abilities to self-renew and differentiate into cell types of multiple adult tissues. Researchers and engineers have increasingly developed novel discovery technologies, theoretical approaches, and cell culture systems to investigate microenvironmental cues and cellular signaling events that control stem cell fate.

This review discusses the ways in which miniaturization, mathematical modeling and engineered tissue culture microenvironments may contribute to the development of stem cell technologies and stem cell-based therapeutics.