Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have developed a sunflower extract-loaded 3D bioprinting ink that could yield a new generation of biomedical devices.
Unlike ordinary malleable bio-inks, the team’s pollen-based creation can be tuned to lend it greater rigidity, thus it’s capable of being 3D printed into structures without losing its integrity between layers. Having already used their ink to produce tissue-regenerative cell scaffolds, the scientists now believe it to have significant potential within tissue engineering, toxicity testing and drug delivery applications.