05-Oct-2021 | Market Research Store
A team of researchers at Singapore-based Nanyang Technological University has formulated a 3D printing ink using sunflower pollens, which might be utilized to generate some parts for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and toxicity testing. When accumulated onto a surface, this pollen-derived ink acquires a certain shape, making it a feasible alternative to the existing 3D printer inks used in the biomedical field. Owing to the delicacy and softness, it is hard for the newly derived ink to retain its 3D structure as the bioprinter spreads the ink layer by layer.
Extrusion-based bioprinting is one of the extensively used bioprinting processes nowadays. In this technique, inks are constantly extruded from nozzles and deposited along the virtually determined routes to construct 3D structures. The pollen-based hybrid ink is developed by six-hour incubation of tough sunflower pollens in alkaline solution to transform them into microgel particles, which is an ecologically sound technique like the soap production procedure. To create the pollen-hydrogel hybrid ink, the microgel particles were blended with hydrogels such as alginate or hyaluronic acid.
The researchers also found that the flexible and sound pollen microgel particles could be utilized as a biodegradable support matrix for misconfigured 3D printing. As the ink settles, the support matrix inhibits the collision of the printed structure. The mechanical characteristics of the 3D printed silicone rubber samples settled within the matrix were equivalent to those established using traditional casting approaches.
The integration of pollens in biomedicine is related to the research conducted by the NTU research team in repurposing pollen grains. These pollens, as a renewable resource, could be used in erecting a variety of eco-friendly materials ranging from environment-friendly paper to biological sponges that can absorb oil pollutants. The team is planning to work with industries to enhance its 3D printing technology, thereby expanding its commercial applications.
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