Cell‐Laden Hydrogels for Multikingdom 3D Printing

Abstract

Living materials are created through the embedding of live, whole cells into a matrix that can house and sustain the viability of the encapsulated cells. Through the immobilization of these cells, their bioactivity can be harnessed for applications such as bioreactors for the production of high‐value chemicals. While the interest in living materials is growing, many existing materials lack robust structure and are difficult to pattern. Furthermore, many living materials employ only one type of microorganism, or microbial consortia with little control over the arrangement of the various cell types. In this work, a Pluronic F127‐based hydrogel system is characterized for the encapsulation of algae, yeast, and bacteria to create living materials. This hydrogel system is also demonstrated to be an excellent material for additive manufacturing in the form of direct write 3D‐printing to spatially arrange the cells within a single printed construct. These living materials allow for the development of incredibly complex, immobilized consortia, and the results detailed herein further enhance the understanding of how cells behave within living material matrices. The utilization of these materials allows for interesting applications of multikingdom microbial cultures in immobilized bioreactor or biosensing technologies.

Stimuli-responsive engineered living materials

“…3B). 97 This approach could offer new understandings in the way different species behave within the same encapsulating structure or provide methods to create ELMs for cell-cell communication and interactions with the external environment or the encapsulating matrix.…”

Metabolism Control in 3D Printed Living Materials

“…45 A mosaic of aerobic and anaerobic regions within a hydrogel could empower the design of new kinds of LMs for multi-kingdom printing using aerobic and anaerobic organisms in parallel. 23 Nanocomposite hydrogels with organic peroxides for sitespecific oxygen release may not be suitable. 46 Organic peroxides appear to react as photoinitiators and/or create excessive reactive oxygen species, damaging cells in LMs.…”

“…22 F127-based LMs are already applied in biotechnological processes using yeast, modular biomanufacturing using co-culture systems, and the design of multi-kingdom microorganismal networks for developing modular bioreactors for chemicals production. 17,19,23 Such LMs have immense potential for emergent biotechnological and medical applications, among which biosensors and efficient biomanufacturing platforms can lead to transformative technologies and products.…”

“…20 In this study, we investigated 3D printed living materials composed of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the polymer F127-bis-urethane methacrylate, previously deployed for the encapsulation of microorganisms. 19,20,23 Figure 1 presents a detailed overview of our study design. For the first time, we report cellular oxygen utilization in F127-based yeast-laden cell-retaining hydrogels and the metabolic mode of the encapsulated yeast.…”

Material‐mediated cell immobilization technology in the biological fermentation proces

“…Pluronic F127 is a triblock copolymer with a reversible gelation temperature, which is critical for cells to become entrapped in the polymer matrix 32 . Shear‐thinning hydrogels based on Pluronic F127 were therefore developed 33 .…”