Project Details
Projekt
Two-photon polymerization-based 3D printer with a sterile bioprinting chamber
Subject Area
Process Engineering, Technical Chemistry
Term
Funded in 2026
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 574518317
The newly established Chair of Technical Biology plays a central role in the development of the life sciences center at the University of Augsburg and addresses a wide range of interdisciplinary research questions in the fields of cell culture technology, bioprocess engineering, organ-on-chip and lab-on-a-chip systems, as well as biosensor technology. Key areas of focus include the development of innovative microbioreactors for the cultivation of microorganisms and mammalian cells, the biomimetic replication of blood vessels, and the design of highly sensitive biosensors for pathogen detection, point-of-care diagnostics, and antibiotic efficacy testing. A core technological platform that unites these activities is high-resolution 3D printing based on inkjet technology. This method enables the rapid and flexible fabrication of miniaturized microfluidic systems, bioreactors, and sensor flow cells—without the need for cleanroom infrastructure. Compared to conventional fabrication techniques, such as PDMS molding, 3D printing offers significant advantages in design freedom, structural complexity, and production time. However, the current generation of 3D printers increasingly reaches its technological limits—particularly in the fabrication of extremely fine, high-resolution microfluidic structures, optically functional microstructures, and in the bioprinting of materials containing living cells. To overcome these limitations and elevate our research activities to a new level of innovation, we are applying for a high-resolution 3D printer based on two-photon polymerization (2PP). This system allows the fabrication of complex microstructures in the single-digit micrometer range from a variety of photoresists and hydrogels. The availability of sterile bioprinting chambers also enables precise bioprinting using specially developed bioinks and cell-laden hydrogels. The use of the 2PP printer opens up entirely new research and development opportunities. These include, for example, the production of microvalves for targeted cell and fluid transport within microfluidic networks, optically microstructured sensors for pathogen detection, and vascularized tissue models created by direct printing of muscle and epithelial cells into hydrogel matrices. With the proposed technology, existing projects can be significantly advanced, while enabling the launch of highly innovative new research directions in bioinspired microsystem technology—representing a key interdisciplinary contribution to strengthening life science research at the University of Augsburg.
DFG Programme
Major Research Instrumentation
Major Instrumentation
Zwei-Photonen-Polymerisation-basierter 3D-Drucker mit steriler Biodruck-Kammer
Instrumentation Group
0910 Geräte für Ionenimplantation und Halbleiterdotierung
Applicant Institution
Universität Augsburg
