Abstract

New Cross-linking Strategies and Physical Hydrogels for Dispense Plotting

Juergen Groll, Professor, University of Wuerzburg

Biofabrication is a young and dynamically evolving field of research. It aims at the auto-mated generation of tissues from cells and materials through Bioprinting or Bioassembly. One of the major challenges in the field is the lack of variety in printable hydrogel systems. In order to be suitable for Biofabrication, hydrogels have to comply with a number of prerequisites with regards to rheological behavior and especially stabilization of the printed structure instantly after printing, while at the same time allowing the cells to proliferate. This lecture will introduce thiol-ene cross-linking of poly(glycidyl-co-allylglycidylether) based 3D plotted hydrogels as alternative to the often used free radical polymerization to stabilize printed hydrogel structures with high resolution and reproducibility. Furthermore, a purely physically cross-linked system based on recombinant spider silk proteins will be introduced, in which beta-sheet interactions facilitate good printability and stability of the constructs.