The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #020

A Prototyping Dream Come True

The concept that you can design something in the digital space and have that printed directly into a 3D model was a fantasy for designers. With the development of the 3D printer that dream became a reality sparking the imagination of countless designers.  Prototypes are now able to be rapidly assembled and reviewed, speeding up the research and development of projects used across architecture, medicine and aerospace. 

Why Traditional Inks Fall Short & The Need for Innovation in 3D Printing

However, as with many new technologies, there are restrictions. For 3D printing, it is the limited range of suitable materials for inks. The criteria for a 3D printer ink is a tough one to nail. 

First, you’ll want to define the properties of your material to suit its final application. Will it need a certain mechanical strength? How flexible and durable does it need to be? What considerations should be made for the product to be compatible with the envisioned environment? 

Next, you will have to consider the liquid itself. The viscosity (how thick it is), flow (how it moves) and adhesion (stickiness). And finally, the printer itself, will the printer maintain the correct temperature for printing without degrading or solidifying the ink too quickly?

The most common ink for 3D printing is, unsurprisingly, plastic. Which, of course, comes with its onslaught of ‘post-life’ problems.

Hailed as the sustainable alternative to plastic ink are bioinks. Bioinks are the use of biological or biocompatible structures as an ink to produce 3D models. Many are already finding their way into the medical field with 3D-printed hydrogels and cells. 

But today we will focus on one bioink that is making progress in strides, microalgae-derived bioink.

What Is Microalgae? 

Micro means small, to put how small into perspective, a micrometre (µm) is 0.001mm. To see a microalgae you’ll need a microscope as it is much smaller than common algae, like seaweed, which you can easily see with (or without) your sunglasses at the beach. 

You may have interacted with a product from microalgae without even knowing it. Microalgae is used to make nutritional products like fish-free omega-3 tablets. 

There are lots of types of microalgae all of which have their beautiful distinct structures. Despite their variation, one thing that they all have in common is that they take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen whilst converting the carbon into the organic building blocks to grow. In other words, they photosynthesise like plants. 

Why Is Microalgae A Good Option For Bioink?

Because of their intake of carbon dioxide and quick growth, microalgae can take in a waste product (carbon dioxide) and produce a useful product (more microalgae or microalgae-derived products) quickly. This makes microalgae an incredibly useful organism to harness. 

A research group from Heidelberg University has demonstrated the possibility of using fat (triglycerides) from microalgae as a bioink. The chemical structure of the fat makes it possible for the ink to react with light to be solidified, forming a solid structure as they are 3D printed. Using this process the group were able to avoid the use of any toxic chemicals that are often used in light-dependent inks. 

Although the application from Heidelberg University group is intended for medical purposes there are already many companies looking at how to realise the full potential of algae in the ink world. Living Ink, a company that makes ink from algae, is a great example of how the waste algae from supplement manufacturing streams can be converted into a high-value product. 

How long do you think it would be before designers can 3D print their prototypes with algae?

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