Acquisition of State-of-the-Art Biological 3D Printer for Fabrication of Multifunctional Materials to Enhance Force Health Protection
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a versatile technology building on the principles of additive manufacturing and applying these to biological materials including biocompatible molecules, macromolecules, and cells. We propose the acquisition of a cutting-edge 3D biological printer, the regenHU, Ltd. 3DDiscoveryTM, which combines several unique bioprinting technologies into a single platform. This bioprinter contains printheads capable of inkjet printing, extrusion printing, and melt electrowriting, the latest in 3D printing technology.The printer is also capable of core-shell printing, in which different core and shell materials can be printed from a coaxial printhead. The printheads can be used over a broad temperature range of 4 to 80~C, viscosity range of 50 to 200,000 mPa~s, and with living cells. Additionally, the printer allows for curing of materials using various mechanisms (e.g., thermal, photocrosslinking, ion-mediated). Together these printing capabilities allow the user to developordered structures with specific compositions and features controlled from the nano- to microscale. We will utilize the proposed acquisition to enhance our research in the areas of developing antifungal wound dressings, antimicrobial materials, hydrogel infection sensors, and hydrogel immunomodulators, currently funded by the Office of Naval Research. Collaborations onhydrogel drug delivery for wound therapy with Walter Reed Army Institute of Research will alsobenefit from this acquisition, along with a broad range of other DoD relevant research areas. We propose to integrate the acquisition into various aspects of research related teaching. Postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students will benefit from the proposed acquisition both in their research and classroom training. The technologies developed and research carried out through the acquisition of the proposed bioprinter will be applicable to both military and civilian applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 23, 2019
- Source ID
- N000141912356
Entities
People
- Anita Shukla
Organizations
- Brown University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy