Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi delve into the Wyss Institute’s cutting-edge 3D printing advances, from bioprinted tissues to life-saving medical devices.
Harvard University has long been recognized as a center for research and innovation. One of its most prominent institutions, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, has consistently broken new ground in the life sciences. Established to foster the convergence of biology, engineering, and technology, the Wyss Institute has played a crucial role in advancing research that improves human health, manufacturing, and sustainability. Among its many breakthroughs, its leadership in 3D printing—especially in the realm of biosciences—stands out as one of its most significant contributions. By combining biology with engineering principles, Wyss researchers have methodically advanced the possibilities of 3D printing, step-by-step, to accomplish groundbreaking feats that may change the future of healthcare and biomanufacturing.
History and Mission of the Wyss Institute
Founded in 2009 with a US$125 million donation from Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss, the Wyss Institute was conceived to push the boundaries of traditional research by focusing on biologically inspired engineering. The idea was to bring together experts from diverse fields—biologists, engineers, chemists, and computer scientists—to solve some of the most challenging problems in science and medicine.
The Wyss Institute operates on a unique model that promotes interdisciplinary collaboration. By breaking down the silos between scientific disciplines, the institute enables researchers to take a systems-level approach to solving problems. Its aim is not just academic discovery but translating these discoveries into practical solutions for the real world. This focus on application is reflected in its partnerships with industry and government agencies, as well as its numerous startup ventures that have commercialized its innovations.
Since its inception, the Wyss Institute has been led by Dr. Donald Ingber, a pioneer in the field of biologically inspired engineering. His leadership has been instrumental in shaping the institute’s strategic vision and fostering a culture of innovation. Ingber’s approach emphasizes incremental progress—each success builds on the previous one, allowing the institute to make significant breakthroughs without sacrificing the quality or rigor of its research.
One of the most exciting fields in which the Wyss Institute has excelled is 3D printing, particularly in biosciences. Through carefully structured and collaborative research efforts, the institute has become a leader in using 3D printing technologies to develop new materials, medical devices, and even human tissues.
The Role of 3D Printing in Biosciences
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has evolved from a prototyping tool to a revolutionary technology with potential applications across a wide range of fields, from automotive to aerospace. However, its potential in healthcare and biosciences may be the most transformative. For the Wyss Institute, 3D printing represents a powerful tool for addressing critical challenges in medicine and biology, offering new methods to create living tissues, repair organs, and develop complex medical devices.
The Wyss Institute has been methodical in its approach to 3D printing, carefully navigating the scientific and engineering challenges associated with bioprinting—especially the complexities of creating structures with living cells. Over time, the institute has developed a series of groundbreaking innovations that have brought 3D bioprinting from theory to practice.
Early Innovations: Tissue and Organ Printing
One of the Wyss Institute’s earliest forays into 3D bioprinting was the development of functional tissue scaffolds. These scaffolds are 3D printed structures that serve as a framework for growing tissues and organs. Made from biodegradable materials, these scaffolds can be seeded with human cells, which then grow and form functional tissues. This technology has enormous potential for organ regeneration, tissue repair, and medical research, as it allows scientists to create customized tissues that mimic the natural environment of human organs.
In 2014, the Wyss Institute developed a breakthrough bioprinting technique to create vascularized tissues—tissues that have their own network of blood vessels. The challenge of creating vascular networks is a critical obstacle in tissue engineering because cells require a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to survive and function. The Wyss team overcame this challenge by using a novel printing technique that allowed them to fabricate intricate vascular networks within 3D printed tissues. This development marked a major step toward the creation of fully functional, lab-grown organs.
Bio-Printing for Drug Testing and Personalized Medicine
Beyond organ regeneration, one of the most immediate applications of 3D bioprinting at the Wyss Institute has been in drug testing and personalized medicine. Traditional methods of drug testing, which rely heavily on animal models and static cell cultures, often fail to accurately predict how drugs will behave in the human body. Wyss researchers saw 3D bioprinting as an opportunity to create more accurate models of human tissues and organs, which could be used for testing drugs in a laboratory setting.
One of the most notable examples of this is the Wyss Institute’s work on “organs-on-chips.” These microchips are small, three-dimensional platforms that replicate the structure and function of human organs. Each chip contains tiny channels lined with living human cells, through which researchers can flow drugs and other substances to observe their effects in real-time. 3D printing has allowed the institute to create these chips with unprecedented precision and detail, making them a powerful tool for studying diseases and testing new treatments. Not only does this approach have the potential to reduce the need for animal testing, but it also enables personalized medicine—where treatments can be tailored to an individual’s unique biology.
Bio-Printed Soft Robotics and Medical Devices
3D printing at the Wyss Institute has not been limited to biological tissues. The institute has also made significant advancements in the development of soft robotics and medical devices using 3D printing technologies. Soft robotics, which are machines made from flexible, lifelike materials, are particularly useful in medical applications because they can interact more safely with human tissues than traditional rigid robots.
In 2018, Wyss researchers developed a 3D printed heart sleeve that acts as a robotic assistive device for patients with heart failure. This soft robotic device wraps around the heart and helps it pump blood more effectively, potentially delaying the need for a heart transplant. The device is customizable to fit individual patients and can be printed to precise specifications using 3D printing technologies.
Another remarkable example is the development of 3D printed surgical tools and implants. The Wyss Institute has created flexible, patient-specific implants that can be used in reconstructive surgeries, particularly in areas like craniofacial reconstruction. By combining medical imaging data with 3D printing, researchers can create implants that are custom-tailored to fit each patient’s anatomy, reducing the risk of complications and improving outcomes.
The Latest Breakthrough: 3D Printed Living Human Skin
The most recent accomplishment from the Wyss Institute represents perhaps the most exciting development yet in the field of bioprinting: the creation of 3D printed living human skin. In late 2023, Wyss researchers announced that they had successfully bioprinted human skin with a functional vascular system. This development addresses one of the biggest challenges in tissue engineering—ensuring that printed tissues can receive a steady supply of blood, oxygen, and nutrients.
This 3D printed skin could have far-reaching implications for patients with severe burns or skin diseases. It could also be used in cosmetic testing, replacing the need for animal testing and reducing the ethical concerns associated with it. The successful creation of vascularized skin brings the field of 3D bioprinting one step closer to the ultimate goal of producing fully functional, lab-grown organs.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
The now permanent Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit is available for companies developing new or improved products, processes and/or software.
3D printing can help boost a company’s R&D Tax Credits. Wages for technical employees creating, testing and revising 3D printed prototypes can be included as a percentage of eligible time spent for the R&D Tax Credit. Similarly, when used as a method of improving a process, time spent integrating 3D printing hardware and software counts as an eligible activity. Lastly, when used for modeling and preproduction, the costs of filaments consumed during the development process may also be recovered.
Whether it is used for creating and testing prototypes or for final production, 3D printing is a great indicator that R&D Credit-eligible activities are taking place. Companies implementing this technology at any point should consider taking advantage of R&D Tax Credits.
Conclusion
The Wyss Institute’s journey in 3D printing for biosciences has been nothing short of extraordinary. Through careful, incremental progress, its researchers have steadily pushed the boundaries of what is possible, from tissue scaffolds and organs-on-chips to soft robotics and patient-specific implants. Their latest achievement—3D printed living human skin with functional blood vessels—is a testament to their unwavering commitment to solving the toughest problems in medicine. As the Wyss Institute continues to pioneer new technologies, it stands as a beacon of innovation, showing that the combination of biology and engineering has the potential to revolutionize healthcare in the 21st century.
