Bioresins for
Biosciences and Engineering
Nanoscribe’s Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) technology offers the highest resolution for 3D Microfabrication at the scale of biological cells and tissues, making it a key enabling technology in 3D bioprinting. From fabricating single cell scaffolds to complex biomimetic or vascularized tissues at millimeter-scale, 2PP-based microfabrication takes you to the forefront of high-precision 3D bioprinting. However, the fabrication of physiologically relevant models requires compatible biomaterials to realize the full potential of 2PP technology, drive innovation and investigate new ideas in life sciences and biology. Our partner BIO INX develops materials for 2PP-based 3D biofabrication.
The BIO INX bioprinting materials we offer include four state-of-the-art bioresins that are specifically optimized for Nanoscribe’s Photonic Professional systems. Importantly, the Hydrotech INX N200 bioresin is also compatible with Quantum X bio. The direct use of BIO INX bioresins save researchers’ time and costs needed from producing their own bioresins, while also increasing experimental reproducibility across batches. Reducing these common bioprinting hurdles enables Nanoscribe users better to translate their research from the lab to clinical trials.
Prof. Dr. Christine Selhuber-Unkel, University of Heidelberg
Hydrobio INX N400 exceeded our expectations by delivering unique, reproducible results, making the creation of microstructures around living cells remarkable.
Bring your applications to life
Hydrobio INX N400 is a natural gelatin-based hydrogel designed for live cell encapsulation to enable live cell printing. The material properties of Hydrobio INX N400 have been tailored to promote naturally occurring cellular behaviors ex vivo while maintaining the highest resolution to achieve feature sizes as small as 1 micron. The flexibility of the material provides our researchers with greater freedom of design: cell encapsulation, cell seeding, and a combined approach using both cell encapsulation and seeding. No longer limited to only cell seeding, our researchers can encapsulate cells to either specifically pattern or utilize as building blocks for living material systems, such as tissues.
Advantages
- Biofunctionalization: Supports cell encapsulation prior to printing for live cell printing
- Biocompatibility: Supports cell adhesion and proliferation
- Biodegradability: Enables cells to replace the extracellular matrix with tissue
- Cell viability: 75% after one week
- Easy handling: Delivered in a ready-to-use kit containing a concentrated stock solution, dilution buffer and crosslinker for 10 prints in the presence or absence of cells
- Direct use: Ready for printing in 10 minutes
- Photodegradability: Enables multiphoton-induced photocleavage after printing
Possible applications
- Tissue engineering: Fabrication of soft tissues that resemble the natural extracellular matrix.
- Live cell printing: Human fibroblasts encapsulation
- Cell seeding: 3D culturing of human-derived cell lines for cellular implants
- Brain: Culture patient-derived glioma cells for organ-on-a-chips
- Bone: Co-culturing of preosteoblasts and macrophages on 3D patterned surfaces
- Breast: Cell invasion studies of human breast cancer cells on 3D scaffolds
Hydrotech INX N200 is the BIO INX photoresin and the first biocompatible, mechanically robust hydrogel designed for the 3D Microfabrication of complex architectures on the micro and mesoscale. Hydrotech INX N200 is compatible with Nanoscribe’s patented Dip-in Laser Lithography (DiLL) process because it does not contain volatile compounds. The bioresin is compatible with Nanoscribe’s Photonic Professional and Quantum X systems. For the best material performance, we recommend Quantum X bio where temperature can be controlled to prevent unwanted water evaporation.
Advantages
- Biocompatibility: Biocompatible with no toxic effect on living cells
- Stability: Biostable hydrogel that sustains 3D cellular structures. Suitable for long term applications. The synthetic bioresin is non-biodegradable and biologically inert.
- Flexibility: Printed structures are highly flexible and recover their original shape in compress-release cycles
- Processability: Easy processing of micro and mesoscale structures with good shape fidelity
- Mechanical integrity: Very robust hydrogel suitable for stiff tissue engineering applications
- DiLL suitability: Designed for Dip-in Laser Lithography processes. Suitable for maximum structure heights of 8 mm with micrometer resolution
- 3D printer compatibility: Optimized and validated for Photonic Professional systems and Quantum X bio
Possible applications
- Organ-on-chip: Biomimicking microscale features, such as liver lobules or intestinal villi
- Tissue engineering: Channels with subcellular dimensions, e.g. allow axon orientation for neuron-on-chip
- Microfluidics: Printing of complex 3D architectures inside microfluidic chips
- 3D cell cultures: Cell patterns and scaffolds to control cellular distribution and growth – combined with the cell-encapsulating HYDROBIO INX N400 bioresin in a two-stage printing process, 3D cell cultures are generated with areas of high and low cell densities
Degrad INX N100 is a biodegradable polyester-based resin designed for the fabrication of complex 3D architectures for tissue engineering applications. The biomaterial is highly flexible and the first commercially available biodegradable bioresin for 2PP applications. Degrad INX N100 is biologically inert. However, it can be coated to allow cell adhesion and proliferation.
Advantages
- Biocompatibility: Exceptional biocompatibility (ISO 10993-5) with no toxic effect on living cells
- Biodegradability: Degradable in a long term (3-5 years) when in contact with water or biological fluids
- Processability: Easy processing into open and complex architectures with minimal deformation
- High resolution: Highest resolution ever reported for a biodegradable material (< 500 nm)
- Flexibility: Can generate strong yet flexible structures that are favorable for easy handling and processing
Possible applications
- Tissue engineering and life science applications requiring biomaterials with high mechanical stability and flexibility
- Bone and cartilage regeneration
- Connective tissue: No cytotoxicity for fibroblasts
| Hydrobio INX N400 | Hydrotech INX N200 | Degrad INX N100 |
| Material class | Natural hydrogel | Synthetic hydrogel | Polyester |
| Bio-degradable | Yes | No | Yes |
| Printable feature size | ≥ 1 µm | > 1 µm | ≤ 1 µm |
| Mechanical properties | Storage modulus G’ = 2 – 18 kPa | Young’s modulus E = 3 – 4 MPa | Young’s modulus E = 50 – 60 MPa |
| Swelling | 50 – 250 % (vol.) | 60 – 80% (mass) | n./a. |
Interested in bioprintable materials?
All BIO INX® biomaterials come in ready to use kits and contain everything you need for straightforward print results.