New Bioink for Printing Tissue-Like Structures

Bioink The Neutron Small Angle Scattering Apparatus KWS-1 at the Jülich branch office at the Heinz Meier-Leibnitz Center in Garching is excellently suited for the investigation of nanostructures. © W. Schürmann / TUM

The Neutron Small Angle Scattering Apparatus KWS-1 at the Jülich branch office at the Heinz Meier-Leibnitz Center in Garching is excellently suited for the investigation of nanostructures. © W. Schürmann / TUM

Scientists from the University of Würzburg have synthesized a new thermogel which is suitable for use as a biological ink for the 3D printing of tissue-like structures for regenerative medicine. Investigations using neutron scattering on one of Forschungszentrum Jülich’s devices suggest that the material – a mixture of a polymer and living cells that is liquid at room temperature – forms an unusual sponge-like network in its gel state.