New technique advances rapid bioprinting

This new technique is claimed to improve the precision and scalability of tissue fabrication, producing tissue 10-times faster than existing methods. It further opens the door to developing functional tissues and organs and progress in the field of regenerative medicine, the researchers said. Their findings are detailed in Nature Communications.

“This technique is a significant advancement in rapid bioprinting of spheroids,” said Professor Ibrahim T. Ozbolat, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in 3D Bioprinting and Regenerative Medicine at Penn State. “It enables the bioprinting of tissues in a high-throughput manner at a speed much faster than existing techniques with high cell viability.”

Bioprinting allows researchers to build 3D structures from living cells and other biomaterials. Living cells are encapsulated in a substrate like a hydrogel to make a bioink, which is printed in layers using a specialised printer. These cells grow and proliferate, eventually maturing into 3D tissue over the course of several weeks.