Subvoxel Bioprinting via Active-Mixing Nozzles to Recreate Tumor Heterogeneity

Authors: Juliette Phillips, Daniel Reynolds

Field of Study: Biomedical Engineering

Program Affiliation: Daniel Reynolds Bioprinting Lab

Faculty Mentors: Daniel Reynolds

Easel: 55

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: Conventional extrusion-based bioprinting is limited by homogeneous bioink compositions that are incapable of recapitulating the cellular heterogeneity of in vivo tissues. For solid tumors, the compositional ratio and spatial distribution of heterogeneous cell populations dictate tumor progression. To address this limitation, this project introduces subvoxel bioprinting via active-mixing nozzles to recreate tumor heterogeneity, utilizing an impeller-driven extrusion nozzle to interdigitate two discrete cell populations within a single extruded filament. The nozzle is constructed using a Form 4B stereolithography printer with V5 Black resin for the precise internal geometries necessary for the extrusion process. To validate this approach, bioinks with varying viscosities will be investigated to ensure flow rate, nozzle length, and impeller angular velocity are optimized for active mixing. This project will establish a high resolution and accurate 3D bioprinting technique for future work regarding tumor heterogeneity.