The aim of the Fiber4Ink project is to research a novel material platform for 3D bioprinting (a so-called bio-ink), which can be used to enable breakthrough innovations in the field of tissue engineering. With the aim of creating a material platform that is as versatile as possible, its suitability for a broad group of cross-linking mechanisms (physical, thermal and light-based) and printing modalities (e.g. direct bioprinting, stereolithography, microfluidic printing) is being investigated. The excellent cell-biological properties of protein-based hydrogels (primarily collagen), which can be obtained from the extracellular matrix or produced recombinantly, are combined with the multifunctional physico-chemical properties of microfibers. By incorporating additional rheology modifiers, the rheological properties of the bioinks can be adjusted to the different printing modalities and fields of application. After printing, the existing fibers stimulate directed cell growth in 3D tissue cultures on a topographical, molecular and electrical level.
Head of Biomedicine & Material Sciences