Biofunctionalization

Thanks to their high precision and flexibility, laser processes are particularly suitable for producing and processing medical or biotechnology products. Fraunhofer ILT has established biofunctionalization with laser radiation as one of its key research and development areas. Through photooxidation of polymers or direct photoimmobilization and subsequent wet-chemical modification, anchor groups can be generated in a site-selective manner, for example, for the covalent attachment of (bio)functional molecules such as peptides or proteins to surfaces. In addition, targeted photochemical functionalization can be used to control wetting and cell adhesion properties. Recent developments in this field aim to integrate photochemical modification into additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing. For this purpose, ILT is investigating both suitable chemical reactions and new beam sources.

The range of services Fraunhofer ILT offers includes contract research on customer-specific tasks, developments in the field of tissue engineering, but also the creation of new functionalities for bioreactors or biosensors.

Manufacturing Process for Tissue Engineering

• Ablative structuring and perforation of polymer material for cell colonization
• Scaffold structuring through photopolymerization (resolution: 5 μm to < 1 μm)
• Scaffold functionalization through photooxidation or photoimmobilization or photocleavage on polymer surfaces with the help of photoactivatable compounds

3D Bioprinting Processes

• Printing technologies (stereolithography and multiphoton processes) for various photo resins
• Material developments based on thiol-ene-click chemistry
• Off-stoichiometric reaction for the generation of functional groups on surfaces

Nottrodt, N., Leonhäuser, D., Elling, L., Bremus-Köbberling, E., Gillner, A.:
Laser based functionalization for graded immobilization of biomolecules on biocompatible polymer surfaces
In: Nanobio Europe, Münster, Germany, June 2-4, 2014,
10th Int. Congr. & Exhibition on Nanobiotechnology (1 S.)  (2014)

Bremus-Koebberling, E., Beckemper, S.,  Koch, B.,  Gillner, A.
Nano structures via laser interference patterning for guided cell growth of neuronal cells
Journal of Laser Applications, Special Issue „ Generation of  Sub-100 nm Structures by Nonlinear Laser-Material Interaction”
(2012)

Bremus-Köbberling, E., Leonards, H., Naderi, M.:
Spatially selective modification of polymeric scaffolds with markers for MR-Imaging
J. Tissue Engl. Regen. Med. 6, 316-316 (2012)

Bremus-Köbberling, E., Gillner, A., Avemaria, F., Réthoré, C., Bräse, S.:
Photochemistry with laser radiation in condensed phase using miniaturized photoreactors
Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 8, 1213-1218, (2012)

Leonards, H., Schmitz, D., Pich, A., Bremus-Köbberling, E.:
Light triggered drug release
J. Tissue Engl. Regen. Med. 6, 324-324 (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)

Seiler, N., Engelhardt, S., Riester, D., Mela, P., Bremus-Köbberling, E.
Laserinduzierte Gradienten zur Oberflächenfunktionlaisierung von Polymeren
Biomed. Tech. 55, Suppl. 1, 34-36, (2010)

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