Functional materials for high resolution 3D bioprinting in kidney engineering (3D-Shrink)
Description: In the 3D-Shrink program, I aim to develop new functional biomaterials for high resolution 3D bioprinting. Currently, hydrogel-based biomaterials are 3D-printed into structures to mimic tissue and organ organization for tissue engineering applications. They are ideal materials for regenerative medicine purposes due to their high water content and similar characteristics to the native extracellular matrix.
Importantly, function of artificial tissues is directed by the shape of cell containing constructs. A major challenge in hydrogel bioprinting is reaching dimensions small enough to resemble complex and tubular shapes present in humans. Resolution enhancement in bioprinting is challenged by the presence of living cells that can handle only a certain amount of stress and pressure during fabrication. Therefore, instead of a machine approach, I will enable high resolution prints using a new materials approach.
I will develop hydrogel materials that can shrink on demand in the presence of cells after bioprinting to allow the tunability of the dimensions towards relevant length scales. I will make use of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between polymers dissolved in water to tune on demand the dimensions of cell-containing 3D printed structures. Rational design of polymers will reveal the fundamental criteria determining shrinking properties and cell-material interactions.
These novel biomaterials will enable fabrication of living tubular structures in which cells can be easily deposited in specified locations that can be subsequently shrunk to biologically relevant sizes with diameters in the range of 10-50 m without compromising viability and functionality of the tissue forming cells. Finally, I will test the applicability of 3D-Shrink for a highly complex tissue: the kidney. This technique is expected to progress the advances in tissue engineering and in particular towards predictive in vitro drug screening and renal replacement therapy.
Funding type: fellowship
Funder scheme: NWO-Talentprogramma Vici TTW 2020
Start date: 2021-10-18
Investigator: Tina Vermonden
Institution: Universiteit Utrecht
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Funded outputs count: 16
Funder award ID: 18673
OpenAlex ID: G3981080253