Sigma-Aldrich SHEAR-THINNING GELATIN-BASED PHOTOCROSS&

The shear-thinning gelatin-based bioink is a extracellular matrix (ECM)- mimicking ink that provides all the benefits of gelatin with the addition of shear thinning behaviour, thereby allowing easy printing at 37°C.

Based on gelatin derived from natural collagen, this bioink has been modified with photocrosslinkable functional groups which enables unpreedneted printing efficiency of a scaffold that resembes the natural ECM and has exptionally high cell viabilities. The shear-thinning gelatin-based bioink combines all the benefits of conventional gelatin or GelMA with the improved printability thanks to its shear thinning behavior. It can be printed at 37°C in the presence or absence of cells, and overcomes the narrow processing range limitations associated with printing conventional GelMA based bioinks. After printing, the material can be photocrosslinked, resunting in a physiologically stable hydrogel.

Processing:
At high shear rates, this bioink exhibits a low viscotiy which allows easy injection from the printing nozzle, At low shear rates, it has a high viscosity, which is required for shape retention after deposition. This is favorable for extrusion-based 3D bioprinters as the ink should easily be injected through the printing nozzle and the post-injetion flow should be minimized to prevent structural deformation. These properties are very rarely seen in conventional gelatin-based ink, giving this bioink an advantage over traditional bioinks.

Applications: :
3D bioprinting
Tissue engineering
In vitro modeling

Features and Benefits:
- Easy printing - Shear thinning behavior enables easy deposition at 37°C
- Biodegradability - Enables cellular remodeling of the printed matrix
- Easy handling - Delivered in a ready-to-use cartridge - UV curable
- Efficient UV-based crosslinking
- Reproducibility - Strict quality control
Cell interactive - Material is biocompatible mimics natural ECM envrionment