Conveners
S31 Open-Source Hardware for Biofabrication
- Mark Skylar-Scott (University of Sydney)
- Juergen Groll (University of Wurzburg)
Recreating the spatial and functional heterogeneity of native tissues remains a central challenge in tissue engineering. Native tissues exhibit complex gradients in mechanical properties, extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, and biochemical cues, which are difficult to replicate using conventional biofabrication methods. Extrusion-based embedded 3D bioprinting techniques, such as Freeform...
Open source and low cost bioprinters improve access to biofabrication and allow for a common hardware language for easier sharing of materials, code, and approaches. We recently developed the Printess, a 6-axis low-cost 3D bioprinter that could perform multimaterial, gradient mixing, multimaterial multinozzle, and embedded multinozzle 3D bioprinting. Here, we expand upon the design of our...
Introduction: As new biofabrication technologies emerge, the possibilities for research into new applications expand rapidly. However, for young researchers with limited experience in the relevant areas (i.e., regenerative medicine, robotics, 3D printing or G-code postprocessing) and constrained financial resources, the application of new technologies may be challenging. From the very...
Introduction
There are several emerging direct-writing 3D printing technologies whose development can benefit from established, low-cost open-source ecosystems. Such 3D printing technologies include Freeform Reversible Embedding of Suspended Hydrogels (FRESH) and melt electrowriting (MEW). The latter technology is a high-resolution technique capable of depositing micron-scale fibers into...
Introduction: Additive manufacturing has transformed material science by enabling 3D printing of tunable structures for applications like micro-robotics, sensors, and tissue engineering [1]. However, conventional extrusion-based printing uses fixed nozzle shapes, which limit control over the extruded material compositions and printed geometries. Recent methods offer some composition and flow...
