A bio-ink to print living cells onto a surface using a commercial printer has been developed by Dr Marc in het Panhuis and colleagues at the University of Wollongong, Australia. Bioprinting can be used for tissue engineering and analytical applications. The bio-ink consists of a gel – gellan gum – that’s used in food additives. The gel makes sure that the cells in the bio-ink remain suspended with no sign of aggregation, which was the problem with previous inks. Aggregation means an uneven distribution of cells being printed out onto a surface.
Bio-ink for printing living cells on demand
Biomater. Sci., 2012, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/c2bm00114d
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