Nanoengineers Print 3D Microstructures in Mere Seconds

Nanoengineers at the Univ. of California, San Diego have developed a novel technology that can fabricate, in mere seconds, microscale three dimensional (3D) structures out of soft, biocompatible hydrogels. Near term, the technology could lead to better systems for growing and studying cells, including stem cells, in the laboratory. Long-term, the goal is to be able to print biological tissues for regenerative medicine. For example, in the future, doctors may repair the damage caused by heart attack by replacing it with tissue that rolled off of a printer.

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Tags: biology, hydrogel, nanoengineer, print, regenerative-medicine

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Comment by Logos Tartaros on September 15, 2012 at 10:54am: The biofabrication technique uses a computer projection system and precisely controlled micromirrors to shine light on a selected area of a solution containing photo-sensitive biopolymers and cells. This photo-induced solidification process forms one layer of solid structure at a time, but in a continuous fashion. The technology is part of a new biofabrication technology that Prof. Shaochen Chen is developing under a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (R01EB012597). The Obama administration in March launched a $1 billion investment in advanced manufacturing technologies, including creating the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute with $30 million in federal funding to focus on 3D printing. The term “additive manufacturing” refers to the way 3D structures are built layering very thin materials.

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Nanoengineers Print 3D Microstructures in Mere Seconds

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