A biomimetic biosynthetic nerve implant (BNI) that uses a hydrogel-based, transparent, multi-channel matrix as a 3-D substrate for nerve repair is disclosed. Novel scaffold-casting devices were designed for reproducible fabrication of grafts containing several micro-conduits, and further tested in vivo using a sciatic nerve animal model and repair of the adult hemitransected spinal cord. At 16 weeks post-injury of the sciatic nerve, empty tubes formed a single nerve cable. In sharp contrast, animals that received the multi-luminal BNI showed multiple nerve cables within the available microchannels, better resembling the multi-fascicular anatomy and ultra structure of the normal nerve. In the injured spinal cord, the BNI loaded with genetically engineered Schwann cells were able to demonstrate survival of the grafted cells inside the BNI, and robust axonal regeneration through the implant up to 45 days after repair.