Bioprinting… the future
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times: we love technology. Even if we specialize in development, software architecture, big data and so on, we cannot skip major technological advancements happening all around us. It is not that common for a new technology to leave us in awe. But when something like Bioprinting comes forward, we cannot and should not let it pass through our radars, without giving it a proper look. So, let’s see what we found out about bioprinting and how it said that it’s going to change the world as we know it.
What is bioprinting?
Bioprinting is actually an extension of “traditional” 3D printing. It can produce, and we’re not joking, living tissue, bone, blood vessels and potentially, wait for it, whole organs. As you can gather by now, it is mainly used in medical procedures, but it is also used in training and testing.
How does it become possible?
It is not hard to understand that bioprinting is much more difficult than “simple” 3D printing. Why? Because even though some scientists discovered in the 2000s that living cells could be sprayed through inkjet printers without damage, the cells themselves need the appropriate environment to stay alive: oxygen, air, and water. The solution was found in the form of a microgel. It is some sort of gelatin, enriched with life-sustaining compounds like vitamins and proteins. Adding that to already made 3D scaffolds made of biodegradable polymers, scientists can not only keep the cells alive, but the can grow them to fully functional tissue, as well.
Where do we find these living cells?
Every tissue in a human body is made out of different cell types. These cells are taken form a patient and cultivated until they can give the breakthrough that is called “bio-ink”. The latter is then loaded into the printer, which follows exactly the same principles as a 3D printer to produce living tissue and, as everything seems to be pointing at, whole organs in the future. The procedure then is even more impressive. Highly detailed computer designs, generally based on scans taken from a patient, lead the precise printer heads to put the cells on point where they’re needed. After many hours into the procedure, an organic object is created, consisting of a huge number of very-very thin layers.
Do they only need cells?
No, that wouldn’t work. Most bioprinters use some sort of synthetic glue and the scaffold made of collagen or some other type of support, so the cells can attach and grow on. This is also known as “bio-paper”.
What impact is it expected to have?
3D bioprinting can lead to major advances in the medical field of tissue engineering. That is because it allows exploration to be done on state-of-the-art materials called biomaterials. Some of these bioengineered substances are actually stronger than bodily materials, including soft tissue and bone. Some engineers are already exploring the possibility of printing micro-channels to maximize the diffusion of nutrients and oxygen from neighboring tissues, while other engineers focus on printing mini organs (for now), like a heart, liver, and lungs so they can test new drugs more accurately without having the need to test on animals.
As it seems, the possibilities are endless. From never again having the need to test on animals, to ending organ shortages and waiting lines, bioprinting seems to be one of the technologies that can actually shape a different future. And that is exactly what technology should be about. How do you find all these? Would you like to work for a company that researches, uses and advances software technology? Check out our openings here.
