Motivation
Bioprinting is a fabrication technique to 3-D print living cells for tissue engineering applications using bioink, a biocompatible gel that supports cells by providing mechanical integrity. Combining bioink with clinical imaging techniques enables the creation of custom constructs specifically designed for a patient. The Bonassar lab has over a decade of expertise in bioprinting and co-founded 3-D Bio, the first company to enter clinical trials with a bioprinted ear.
Click here for a video showing one example of the printing capability at the Bonassar Lab!
Current Research
Smart Syringe: Alicia Matavosian
To create bioprinted constructs that are GMP-compliant and FDA approved for human clinical trials, extensive testing is conducted to determine the cell bioactivity within the constructs after printing. These tests involve the use of destructive techniques such as biochemical assays, histology, and biomechanical testing. Destructive techniques necessitate the creation of multiple constructs per patient, increasing production time and cost. An alternative means of assessing cell bioactivity is through in-line, non-destructive testing. The Bonassar lab has patented a device called the Smart Syringe to non-destructively monitor cell properties such as cell concentration and viability during bioprinting. Currently, we are using this device to investigate the interaction between cells and bioink.
Bioprinting Optimization: Julia Bellamy
Collagen is a commonly used bioink due to its biocompatibility, temperature dependent gelation kinetics, and extracellular matrix composition, but it is also a non-Newtonian fluid that has concentration, flow, and temperature dependent rheology. Extrusion bioprinters rely on process printing parameters related to the input conditions, such as nozzle diameter, printing height, and extrusion flow rate, as well as model slicing parameters related to the movement of the print head, such as printing speed, infill pattern, and area density. The intricate relationship of bioink and printing variables results in a tedious guess-and-check procedure to ensure consistent fabrication. To better understand the interplay of collagen bioinks with these bioprinter variables, we experimentally optimized high-impact parameters related to process and slicing conditions. High speed imaging of collagen filament formation during bioprinting was recorded to better understand the fluid dynamics behavior. With these experimental conditions, we are able to optimize collagen bioprinting parameters, revealing impactful parameter influences and flow conditions in creating high shape fidelity bioprinted constructs.
Closed-loop Bioprinter: India Dykes
3D bioprinting is a promising manufacturing method in tissue engineering, but it faces challenges due to the complexity of replicating native tissue structures. Cell-laden bio-inks are non-homogeneous, non-Newtonian, and have complex material properties, which can change during the printing process and impact scaffold quality. Currently, most 3D printers operate with an open-loop system that follows preset instructions without adjusting for bio-ink variation, making it unable to create scaffolds with the structural complexity of native tissues.
To address this, my research focuses on developing a closed-loop (PID) control system for 3D bioprinting that responds to cell concentration variability in cell-laden bio-inks. I plan to integrate the Smart Syringe impedance sensor, developed by the Bonassar lab, into the new printer design to measure bio-ink cell density during the printing process. Using the Smart Syringe as a feedback sensor will allow real-time adjustments to parameters like bio-ink flow rate to maintain a controlled deposition of cells throughout the scaffold. In the future, this system can be expanded to assess other properties such as cell viability and cell type, ultimately enabling the creation of tissue scaffolds that mimic the complex cellular organization of native tissues.
Lab Members
Undergraduates
- Smriti Sridharan ’25
- Alexandra Griffin ’26
Collaborations
- Weill Cornell Medicine – Dr. Jason Spector, MD, FACS
- West Pharmaceutical Services (2021 – 2024)
- Histogenetics
