Bioprinting: Building the Future of Medicine Layer by Layer

Bioprinting is where science fiction meets reality in which living cells, proteins, and nutrients are used as raw materials to 3D print tissues and organs. It's a type of additive manufacturing that uses a digital blueprint to create an object layer by layer. From printing beating heart tissue patches to creating personalized drug testing platforms – this technology is revolutionizing healthcare. It’s potentially one of the most important medical advances of the 21st century.

Scientists are even using cotton candy machine principles to solve complex vascular engineering challenges and bioprinted tissues are already being used for drug testing and personalized medicine. It can help create patient-specific tissue and organs to replace damaged tissue, can be used to test the efficacy of drugs before using them on humans, and leveraged to create new cosmetics.

Among its benefits, it can reduce the need for animal testing, is cost-effective, and may produce more consistent results. While maintaining cell quality and ensuring its success is not only difficult, but vital to the process, AI and cloud-based manufacturing systems could prove crucial for the process, ensuring patient safety and print success.

Watch this week’s Industry Insights episode now to understand why bioprinting isn't just another cool technology - it's potentially one of the most important medical advances of the 21st century.