Alginate-based bioinks with tailorable microstructural properties for controlled cell-material-interactions (A01)

• Subject Area: Biomaterials
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 326998133

Alginate-based bioinks offer excellent biocompatibility and printability. However, poor cell adhesion and high steric hindrance limit their biological performance. Building on our earlier work involving pre-crosslinked oxidized alginate functionalized with gelatin (ADA-GEL), we now aim for precise control over adhesiveness, stiffness, viscoelasticity, porosity, and plasticity through two complementary strategies: (1) embedding sacrificial organic particles in ADA-GEL to create porosity, and (2) assembling alginate microparticles in a sacrificial carrier bioink. Both approaches decouple structural and mechanical tuning and enable the development of tailored, cell-responsive bioinks that support multiple CRC subprojects.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 225: From the Fundamentals of Biofabrication towards Functional Tissue Models
• Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Project Heads: Professor Dr.-Ing. Aldo Boccaccini; Professor Dr. Ben Fabry