Breakthrough New 3D Printable Hydrogels May Change BioPrinting for Good

3D bioprinting is proving to be a fast-growing area of research, particularly for the eventual creation of human tissues and organs. One of the primary limitations on the area is due to hydrogels' inherent lack of strength. A recent article published on Nature Communications on April 28, called 'Reinforcement of hydrogels using three-dimensionally printed microfibers,' from researchers at Queensland University of Technology, in Brisbane, Australia, lays out a viable method of creating far more robust and stiff hydrogels. The research team discovered that by using a new 3D printed high-porosity microfiber technique, they could increase the stiffness of a hydrogel/scaffold composite by up to 54x, while maintaining an elasticity similar to human tissue. Read the full articles for more details on their findings: http://3dprint.com/61683/hydrogels-composites-3d/

Below is a chart from the research report:
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