Inkjet printing for high-throughput cell patterning

Abstract

The adaptation of inkjet printing technology to the complex fields of tissue engineering and biomaterial development presents the potential to increase progress in these emerging technologies through the implementation of this high-throughput capability via automated processes to enable precise control and repeatability. In this paper, a method of applying high-throughput inkjet printing to control cellular attachment and proliferation by precise, automated deposition of collagen is presented. The results indicate that commercial inkjet printing technology can be used to create viable cellular patterns with a resolution of 350 microm through the deposition of biologically active proteins. This method demonstrates a combination of off-the-shelf inkjet printing and biomaterials and has potential to be adapted to tissue engineering and colony patterning applications. Adapting this method into the three-dimensional construction of cellular structures for eventual high-throughput tissue engineering using a bottom-up approach is possible.