The convergence of synthetic biology with polymer science has led to the rapid emergence of engineered living materials (ELMs), which are composite materials of engineered cells encapsulated within a polymeric matrix. Additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) has re-emerged into the spotlight in the last 10 years driven by the rapid progress in hardware and software. While off-the-shelf polymeric materials have been utilized as inks and resins for additive manufacturing, there is still a need to develop functional materials that are specifically designed for these processes. In this seminar, I will present two different polymer platforms that we have developed to 3D print ELMs. In the first part of my seminar, I will discuss the development of stimuli-responsive triblock copolymer hydrogels for fabricating immobilized cell bioreactors. These hydrogels were used to incorporate engineered microbes that served as cellular factories for the on-demand bio-production of chemical products. In the second part of my seminar, I will discuss a two-step additive manufacturing process to fabricate protein-based constructs using a commercially available laser-scanning SLA printer. Methacrylated bovine serum albumin (MA-BSA) was synthesized and formulated into aqueous resins that was used to print complex 3D geometrical constructs with a resolution comparable to a commercially available resin. Compression studies of hydrated and dehydrated constructs demonstrated a broad range of compressive strengths and Young’s moduli that could be further modulated by adjusting the type and amount of co-monomer. These protein-based matrices served as biodegradable scaffolds for 3D printing ELMs, and I will present strategies for fabricating bio-augmented and bio-sustained ELMs.

Polymer platforms for 3D printing engineered living materials

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.