Summary
Published in Current Opinion in Biotechnology (2011), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Mironov, Vladimir, et al. Organ printing: from bioprinter to organ biofabrication line
Organ printing: from bioprinter to organ biofabrication line
Research Overview
Organ printing — layer-by-layer robotic biofabrication of 3D tissue and organ constructs from self-assembling tissue spheroid building blocks — is emerging as a technology that could turn tissue engineering into a commercial biomedical industry.
This paper argues that robotic bioprinters alone are not sufficient for industrial-scale organ biofabrication. Drawing on how comparable established industries adopted automated robotic systems on the path to commercial success, it sets out the design requirements for a fully integrated organ biofabrication line rather than an isolated printer.
Key Discoveries
- Frames tissue spheroids as the building blocks of layer-by-layer organ printing
- Argues bioprinters alone cannot achieve industrial-scale organ biofabrication
- Sets out requirements for a fully integrated biofabrication production line
