Enzymatically produced nanocrystalline cellulose as a sustainable engineering material for bioink formulation in 3D bioprinting

• Grant number: 25/01682-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal Investigator: Valdeir Arantes
• Grantee: Laura Lis Coimbra Silva
• Supervisor: Marco Andre Neves Domingos
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Manchester, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/11125-8 - Optimization of the production of nanocrystalline cellulose, enzymatic pathway, from mechanically pre-treated cellulosic pulp, BP.IC

Abstract

In Tissue Engineering, the lack of in vitro models that accurately replicate human tissue and organ physiologies represents a significant obstacle to the clinical progress of more effective in vivo treatment and medicine developments. In response to such difficulty, the use of polysaccharide-based hydrogels stands out in the formulation of bioinks for 3D bioprinting to assemble a desired tissue or organ. However, such a process comes with a quandary: traditionally, bioinks formulations require low-viscosity composites, which favor cell viability but can compromise the resolution and fidelity of printed constructs. Therefore, aiming to reach a material contemplating both properties- high cell viability and excellent printability- the present project proposes the application of cellulose nanocrystals, produced via enzymatic hydrolysis, as rheological modifier in bioink formulations. Cellulose nanocrystals are typically produced by sulfuric acid hydrolysis, which carries environmental and economic challenges. In contrast, enzymatic hydrolysis offers a more sustainable approach, allowing for greater control of material properties, which is crucial for 3D bioprinting. Thus, the present work focuses on shear-thinning and mechanical properties of hydrogels, expanding the perspectives of nanocrystalline cellulose applications in the formulation of bioinks for extrusion-based bioprinting.