Alginate Hydrogel for 3D Bioprinting

3D bioprinting holds remarkable potential for the rapid fabrication of tissue engineering constructs with high fidelity. As a biocompatible biomaterial that can robustly form hydrogels in the physiological condition, alginate has been widely utilized in bioprinting applications To this end, my lab has explored the application of alginate in both indirect and direct 3D biofabrication. In the case of indirect fabrication, hydrogel molds with defined structures were 3D printed and used to facilitate the formation of scaffold-free tissues with predetermined shapes and patterns (e.g. toroids, honeycombs) For this application, we utilized native alginate hydrogels due to their non-biodegradable, bio-inert, and biocompatible properties. For direct fabrication, we utilized chemically modified alginates to create conducive environments for cell adhesion, proliferation and tissue formation.