Abstract

The Bioprinter as a Platform for 3D Cell Biology Experimentation

Thomas Angelini, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida

The remarkable differences between cells grown on plates and cells in vivo or in 3D culture are well-known. At the physical level, cell shape, structure, motion, and mechanical behavior in 3D are totally different from those in the dish and are far less explored. At the molecular level, cells grown in monolayers exhibit gene expression profiles that do not correlate or are anticorrelated with those of cells grown in 3D culture or xenograft animal models. However, our understanding of cell biology has been heavily shaped by the culture plate, whether viewed through the lens of gene expression profiles, signaling pathways, morphological characterization, or mechanical behaviors. Closing this major gap between 2D in vitro culture and in vivo biology requires a tunable and flexible method for creating 3D cell assemblies and performing experiments on cells in 3D environments. In this talk I will describe how we use a bioprinter in combination with a 3D culture medium made from jammed microgels to perform a wide range of 3D experiments. I will demonstrate this experimental platform’s ability to print structures made from multiple cell types or extracellular matrix with predictable feature sizes down to the scale of a few cell bodies. I will also present data from numerous types of experiments performed in 3D, designed to explore collective cell behavior and cell-cell interactions. For example, I recent results will be presented from a 3D immunotherapy model in which we investigate how immune-specific T cells attack 3D printed brain tumoroids. Our results demonstrate that, in parallel to pursuing the long-standing goals shared by those within the 3D bioprinting field, the current state of bioprinting technology can leveraged to facilitate the emergence and growth of new areas of scientific investigation.