Breaking the resolution limits of 3D bioprinting: future opportunities and present challenges

Tommaso Zandrini, Sammy Florczak, Riccardo Levato, Aleksandr Ovsianikov*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Bioprinting aims to produce 3D structures from which embedded cells can receive mechanical and chemical stimuli that influence their behavior, direct their organization and migration, and promote differentiation, in a similar way to what happens within the native extracellular matrix. However, limited spatial resolution has been a bottleneck for conventional 3D bioprinting approaches. Reproducing fine features at the cellular scale, while maintaining a reasonable printing volume, is necessary to enable the biofabrication of more complex and functional tissue and organ models. In this opinion article we recount the emergence of, and discuss the most promising, high-definition (HD) bioprinting techniques to achieve this goal, discussing which obstacles remain to be overcome, and which applications are envisioned in the tissue engineering field.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)604-614
Number of pages11
JournalTrends in Biotechnology
Volume41
Issue number5
Early online date10 Dec 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
R.L. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 949806, VOLUME-BIO) and from the European's Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 964497 (ENLIGHT). A.O. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) (Grant agreement numbers 307701, LeBMEC and 772464, THIRST). The authors would like to thank Professor V. Mironov for fruitful discussions. A.O. is also a Co-Founder and CSO of UpNano GmbH, a recent spin-off of the TU Wien aiming at commercialization of MPL.

Funding Information:
R.L. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 949806 , VOLUME-BIO) and from the European's Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 964497 (ENLIGHT). A.O. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) (Grant agreement numbers 307701 , LeBMEC and 772464 , THIRST). The authors would like to thank Professor V. Mironov for fruitful discussions.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022

Funding

R.L. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 949806, VOLUME-BIO) and from the European's Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 964497 (ENLIGHT). A.O. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) (Grant agreement numbers 307701, LeBMEC and 772464, THIRST). The authors would like to thank Professor V. Mironov for fruitful discussions. A.O. is also a Co-Founder and CSO of UpNano GmbH, a recent spin-off of the TU Wien aiming at commercialization of MPL. R.L. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 949806 , VOLUME-BIO) and from the European's Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 964497 (ENLIGHT). A.O. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) (Grant agreement numbers 307701 , LeBMEC and 772464 , THIRST). The authors would like to thank Professor V. Mironov for fruitful discussions.

Keywords

  • biofabrication
  • cell electrowriting
  • digital light processing
  • HD bioprinting
  • multiphoton lithography
  • organ-on-a-chip
  • volumeter printing

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