Abstract

Current Bioinks Development

L.P. Tan, Associate Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University

Recent developments in 3D printing technologies and design have been nothing short of spectacular. Parallel to this, bioinks development has also emerged as an active research area with almost unlimited possibilities. Many bioinks have been developed for various cells types but there are still challenges and limitations of current bioinks used for 3D printing. Bioinks development is significant due to two major objectives. First objective is to provide growth and functional support to the cells for their proper organization and eventual function. Second objective is to minimize the effect of printing on cell viability, without compromising the resolution and shape of the construct. Here, we will discuss the current status and challenges of bioinks for 3D printing of tissue constructs.