3D Photografting Introduced

Scientists at the Vienna Institute of Technology have developed a new technique they call "Photografting", which promises to enable significant advances in bioprinting. 

 

The new technique involves starting with a hydrogel, a porous material in which other molecules can be placed. Lasers then focus on specific spots within the 3D hydrogel and break apart molecular bonds. At these breakpoints new molecules can be easily and rapidly attached. This means one can place specific molecules at specific locations. A bio-designer could then create a model with the right biological structures embedded in the object, a feat not really feasible with today's conventional 3D printing approaches. 

 

Via Science Daily