It is a dream of medicine: producing artificial tissue in any shape from stem cells and thus healing injuries with the body's own cells, perhaps one day even producing artificial organs. However, it is difficult to shape cells in the desired way.
A promising method has now been developed at TU Wien: Using a special, laser-based 3D printing technique, micro-scaffolds with a diameter of less than a third of a millimeter can be produced that can accommodate thousands of cells very quickly. This ensures a high cell density right from the start, but still allows the shape and mechanical properties of the structure to be flexibly adapted. The technology uses a light-sensitive material that is cured with a laser beam exactly where you want it. This allows structures to be produced with an accuracy of less than one micrometer. This laser method is now used to create micro-scaffolds for the rapid generation of cell agglomerates that can grow together to form large tissue constructs.
