Leaders in Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence (LPBI) Group

Chemical Giant BASF Teams With Poietis on 4D Bioprinted Skin Project

Reporter: Irina Robu, PhD

“Poietis’ approach strays wildly from other companies like Organovo in that instead of using the typical extrusion model of printing that we are all used to seeing, they are working on laser-assisted bioprinting. This approach allows for incredibly accurate, high resolution printing of living cells. In fact, they claim to be able to concentrate as many as 100 million cells per millimeter and print them at 20 micron resolutions. This results in a phenomenal 100% cell viability rate.

The way the technology works is that a laser is focused on a substrate containing the cells. This creates a jet of micro droplets which are focused then onto the build plate as the machine delicately ‘prints’ these cells layer by layer, in three dimensions. They call this process ‘4D Bioprinting’ because a forth dimension is utilized, and that dimension is ‘time’. Once the tissue is printed, time is required for the cells to communicate and self-assemble.

This unique approach to bio-printing has attracted the attention of BASF. Now BASF wants to use Poietis’ laser technology, combined with their own chemicals and processes to better fabricate their Mimeskin™ tissue.”

SOURCE

http://3dprint.com/80673/basf-3d-print-skin-mimeskin/