Polyol-Silk Bioink Formulations as Two-Part Room-Temperature Curable Materials for 3D Printing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Bioprinting Technology
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Traditional bioinks often require harsh chemical or photoinitiators for crosslinking.
• Developing stable, printable biomaterials at ambient temperatures remains a challenge for advanced tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel silk-based bioinks for versatile 2D and 3D printing applications.
• To achieve self-curing capabilities at room temperature without chemical or photoinitiators.
• To control silk polymer matrix crystallinity for optimized printing performance.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of non-toxic polyols into silk protein solutions to create two-part formulations.
• Tuning formulation parameters to control silk crystallinity and rheological properties.
• Utilizing computer-aided design (CAD) for precise printing of structural and support materials.
• Characterization of printed constructs for feature resolution and aqueous stability.

Main Results:

• Successful development of two-part, self-curing silk-based bioinks that solidify at room temperature.
• Demonstrated control over silk matrix crystallinity, enabling suitability for both 2D and 3D printing.
• Achieved good feature resolution and aqueous stability in printed structures.
• Fabrication of both structural and sacrificial support materials using the developed bioinks.

Conclusions:

• Silk-based bioinks offer a promising, biocompatible alternative for additive manufacturing in biological applications.
• The self-curing and tunable nature of these inks facilitate complex structure formation without harsh initiators.
• These advancements open avenues for biofunctionalization and a wide array of applications in tissue engineering and beyond.