journal article·2026-04-14Open access

Additive‐Manufactured, Multifunctional Bioreactor Technology for Dynamic Culture of 3D Bioprinted Tissue Models

Lys Sprenger, Johann Schorzmann, Hsuan‐Heng Lu, Muhammad Osama, Julian Bauer, Michael Haug, Oliver Friedrich, Aldo R. Boccaccini, Frank Döpper, Sahar Salehi

Abstract

ABSTRACT Bioreactors in biofabrication and tissue engineering enable dynamic cell and tissue culture under controlled conditions while applying external stimuli such as mechanical or electrical signals. Together, these features mimic the in vivo environment and support functional tissue formation for implantation or model systems. Most current bioreactors focus on medium perfusion and mechanical or electrical stimulation, but often lack real‐time monitoring, which is essential for quality control. To address this gap, this work presents an additively manufactured bioreactor that integrates dynamic perfusion, electrical stimulation, and in‐line microscopy and sensor monitoring for culturing 3D‐bioprinted constructs. Three bioinks containing C2C12 myoblasts were 3D‐printed and cultured in the system, with continuous tracking of pH and temperature and comparison to static controls. Laminar perfusion improved cell viability and spreading in GelMA and ADA‐GEL bioinks, with faster myoblast alignment observed in ADA‐GEL after 3 days. Platinum‐coated copper electrodes embedded in the design produced electric fields of at least 10 V·cm − 1 . As a proof of principle, isolated murine interossei plantares myofibers were placed in the chamber and electrically stimulated to induce twitching. Overall, this bioreactor demonstrates strong potential as a platform for real‐time tissue monitoring and studying customized stimuli during tissue development.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: 3D Printing in Biomedical Research · Neuroscience and Neural Engineering · Pluripotent Stem Cells Research

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Biomaterials Faculty of Engineering Science University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany

Chair for Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Technology Faculty of Engineering Science University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany

Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) Stuttgart Germany

Institute of Biomaterials Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Erlangen‐Nuremberg Erlangen Germany

Institute of Medical Biotechnology Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Friedrich‐Alexander University Erlangen‐Nürnberg Erlangen Germany

Department of Biointelligent System Engineering Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology University of Hohenheim Stuttgart Germany

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

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