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Living tissues are intricate ensembles of multiple cell types embedded in a complex, well-defined extracellular environment. In this talk, I will present our multi-scale biofabrication strategies directed towards better understanding of physical influences of the extracellular environment on cellular and multi-cellular form and function.Inspired by ultrastructural analysis of native tissue microenvironments, I will particularly focus on three different settings in normal and disease contexts, in which controlling cell-material interactions at the nanoscale can have dramatic consequences: tumor progression and metastasis, stem cell differentiation and maturation, and cardiac/skeletal muscle tissue engineering. As novel approaches to address these problems, I will introduce scalable, nanotopographically-controlled cell and tissue culture models developed in our laboratory, including a structurally defined tumor invasion model, nanopatterned cardiac and skeletal muscle patches, and a drug-induced cardiotoxicity screening assay. Using these biofabricated tools in combination with human pluripotent stem cell technologies, I will highlight how our biomimetic tissue models helps to gain a better understanding of the structure-function relationship in complex 3D tissues, and serve as emerging platforms for regenerative cell therapy, disease modeling, and drug screening.