Event

Title: Integration of Automated GelMA Bioink Formulation to Enhance Extrusion Based Bioprinting

 

Committee members:

Dr. John P. Fisher, Chair

Dr. Ian White

Dr. Kimberly Stroka

 

Abstract:

Extrusion based bioprinting is transforming biomanufacturing by enabling highly controllable and reproducible fabrication of tissue constructs. Three-dimensional bioprinting, a form of additive manufacturing, is widely employed for both in vivo tissue implantation and ex vivo research and development platforms. In extrusion based bioprinting, manually formulated bioinks are extruded using defined printing parameters: pressure, temperature, printing speed, and nozzle geometry. This modality offers advantages in customization, cytocompatibility, and tunable mechanical properties. Despite these benefits and the capabilities bioprinting offers over traditional transplantation approaches, bioink formulation remains a key challenge. Manual bioink preparation is labor intensive, susceptible to human error, and introduces variability across batches that negatively impacts print quality and experimental reproducibility. As extrusion based bioprinting progresses toward large scale manufacturing, there is a critical need for automated bioink formulation strategies that reduce labor demands, minimize inconsistencies, and support commercially viable bioprinting workflows. Here, we develop and validate an automated gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) bioink formulation system integrated into an extrusion based bioprinting workflow. The system employs a robotic arm with interchangeable hand attachments to automate bioink preparation directly within the printing process. This aims to reduce labor requirements, minimize variability in bioink rheological properties, and improve print quality. Our results demonstrate that automated bioink formulation enhances printability while achieving efficiency and viscoelastic consistency comparable to manual preparation. This integrated automation strategy establishes a foundation for scalable, standardized, and reproducible extrusion based bioprinting workflows with broad applications to tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and biomanufacturing.