Artem Klotschan

Master student

Alginate-based hydrogels containing biomolecules for 3D bioprinting

 

Supervisors: Faina Bider, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Biofabrication in form of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an emerging technology to replace injured and/or diseased tissue by producing functional tissue constructs consisting of biomaterials based on hydrogels [1]. Alginate-based hydrogels are crosslinked polymeric structures, which can retain high amounts of water and resemble the native extracellular matrix (ECM), making them inherently biocompatible and non-toxic [2][3]. The 3D microenvironment of alginate-based hydrogels provides desirable space for cellular encapsulation, homogeneous distribution, and sufficient seeding [4]. Biomolecules are natural compounds, which can be derived from e.g. plants, and can provide extra functionalities to hydrogels. The aim of this Master thesis is to design and characterize novel alginate-based hydrogels by incorporating biomolecules for medical applications in the field of tissue engineering.

[1]      P. S. Gungor-Ozkerim, I. Inci, Y. S. Zhang, A. Khademhosseini, and M. R. Dokmeci, “Bioinks for 3D bioprinting: an overview,” Biomater. Sci., vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 915–946, May 2018

[2]      S. Bashir et al., “Fundamental Concepts of Hydrogels: Synthesis, Properties, and Their Applications,” Polym. 2020, Vol. 12, Page 2702, vol. 12, no. 11, p. 2702, Nov. 2020,

[3]      M. Calvo Catoira, L. Fusaro, D. Di Francesco, M. Ramella, F. Boccafoschi, and G. Abstract, “Overview of natural hydrogels for regenerative medicine applications,” J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Med., 2019

[4]      P. Abdollahiyan, F. Oroojalian, A. Mokhtarzadeh, and M. de la Guardia, “Hydrogel-Based 3D Bioprinting for Bone and Cartilage Tissue Engineering,” Biotechnol. J., vol. 15, no. 12, p. 2000095, Dec. 2020