Biofabrication

Biofabrication is a current field of work of Fraunhofer ILT which aims at producing living and non-living structures from biomaterials. To construct these structures, the institute employs laser-based printing and structuring processes. The LIFT process (Laser Induced Forward Transfer) offers the best preconditions for the separation of living cells, which can be used, for example, to develop systems for pharmaceutical testing. In addition, scaffolding structures can be fabricated using stereolithographic processes for the research of artificial organs.

The range of services includes contract research on customer-specific tasks, development of biological test systems and the development of machine prototypes for bioprinting.

Manufacturing Processes for Tissue Engineering

• Scaffold structuring by photopolymerization (resolution: 5 µm to < 1 µm)
• Structuring and perforating of polymer material for cell colonization.
• Welding and joining of polymer material for cell colonization.

3D Bioprinting Processes

• Printing technologies for various inks (powder to liquid)
• Marker-free single cell selection and cell positioning
• 3D microstructures for mechanobiology

Narrog, F. , Lensing, R. , Piotrowski, T. , Nottrodt, N. , Wehner, M. , Nießing, B. , König, N. , Gillner, A. , Schmitt, Robert H. :
LIFTOSCOPE: development of an automated AI-based module for time-effective and contactless analysis and isolation of cells in microtiter plates
Journal of Biological Engineering : JBE. Online journal (2023)

Jauer, L., Leonards, H.:
3D-Druck und Biofabrikation
RWTH-Themen (1), 42-45 (2014)

Riester, D., Özmert, A., Wehner, M.:
Laser tool for single cell transfer
J. Laser Micro/Nanoeng. 9, (2) 93-97 (2014)

Engelghardt, S., Refle, O., Wehner, M.:
Method for the fabrication of macroscopic high resolution scaffolds by the combination of inkjet-printing and laser initiated polymerization
J. Tissue Engl. Regen. Med. 6 299-200 (2012)

Meyer, W., Engelhardt, S., Novosel, E., Elling, B., Wegener, M., Krüger, H.:
Soft polymers for building up small and smallest blood supplying systems by stereolithography 
J. Funct. Biomater. 3, 257-268 (2012)

Riester, DA,, Özmert, A., Ungers, M., Wehner, M.:
What you see is what you print: Single cell transfer
J. Tissue Engl. Regen. Med. 6, 374-374 (2012)

Engelhardt, S., Hu, Y., Seiler, N., Riester, D., Meyer, W., Krüger, H., Wehner, M., Bremus-Köbberling, E., Gillner, A.:
3D-microfabrication of polymer-protein hybrid structures with a q-switched microlaser 
J. Laser Micro/Nanoeng. 6, Nr.1, 54-58, (2011)

Engelhardt, S., Hoch, E., Borchers, K., Meyer, W., Krüger, H., Tovar, G. E. M., Gillner, A.:
Fabrication of 2D protein microstructures and 3D polymer-protein hybrid microstructures by two-photon polymerization 
Biofabrication 3, 025003, 9 S., (2011)

Genov, S., Riester, D., Hirth, T., Tovar, G., Borchers, K., Weber, A.:
Preparation and characterisation of dry thin native protein trehalose films on titanium-coated cycloolefin polymer (COP) foil generated by spin-coating/drying process and applied for protein transfer by Lase-Induced-Forward-Transfer (LIFT) 
Chem. Eng. Process. 50, Nr. 5-6, 556-564, (2011)

Genov, S., Thurow, I., Riester, D., Hirth, T., Borchers, K., Weber, A., Tovar, G. E. M.:
Dry native protein assays on substrates by non-contact laser-induced-forward transfer LIFT process
Nanotech 2010, Anaheim/Ca., June 21-24, 4 S., (2010)

Genov, S., Riester, D., Hirth, T., Tovar, G., Borchers, K., Weber, A.:
Preparation and characterisation of dry thin native protein trehalose films on titanium-coated cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) foil generated by spin-coating/drying process and applied for protein transfer by Laser-Induced-Forward-Transfer (LIFT) 
Chem. Eng. Proc. Process Intensification, in Pr., doi: 10.1016/j.cep.2010.11.001, (2010)

Wehner, M., Jacobs, P., Esser, D., Schinkel, H., Schillberg, S.:
Laser-mediated perforation of plant cells
Proc. SPIE
6632, 9 S., (2007)

Our services cover a wide range of topics. Related topics to Biofabrication and further research and development focuses can be found under the following links.