How do you build complex structures for housing cells using a material as soft as jelly? Rice University scientists have the answer, and it represents a potential leap forward for regenerative medicine and medical research in general.
Researchers in the lab of Rice’s Jeffrey Hartgerink have figured out how to 3D-print the well-defined structures using a self-assembling peptide ink. “Eventually, the goal is to print structures with cells and grow mature tissue in a petri dish. These tissues can then be transplanted to treat injuries, or used to learn about how an illness works and to test drug candidates,” said Adam Farsheed, a Rice bioengineering graduate student and lead author of the study, which appeared in Advanced Materials.
“There are 20 naturally occurring amino acids that make up proteins in the human body,” Farsheed said. “Amino acids can be linked together into larger…
