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Laser-Assisted Bioprinting of Neurons via Medgadget

A team at Concordia University in Montreal have developed a technique called Laser-Induced Side Transfer (LIST) that allows for bioprinting of neurons. Low energy laser pulses are directed at a capillary containing a cell-laden bioink, resulting in microbubbles that eject a microjet of the ink onto the substrate below. The technique appears to be fairly gentle on the neurons, and most demonstrated full viability when assessed two days later. The researchers hope that the approach could pave the way for neuron-based printed constructs to assist in drug discovery, and disease modeling.

Bioprinting holds enormous potential in numerous biomedical fields, from drug discovery to regenerative medicine. The technique is similar to 3D printing, but typically involves printing a suspension of cells within a ‘bioink,’ which needs to balance the twin demands of cell viability and appropriate physical and chemical properties for printing.