MRI: Acquisition of a Multi-modal, High-resolution 4D Bioprinting Platform for Multidisciplinary Research and Workforce Training at NC State

生物打印技术是各种生物医学和生物学领域基础研究和应用的关键推动因素。这笔赠款将有助于获得一个高分辨率的生物打印系统，该系统配备了独一无二的激光诱导前向转移（LIFT），微阀按需滴注和微挤出打印功能，沿着由机器学习算法驱动的成像系统，用于打印结构的在线质量评估。LIFT能够精确、无压力地沉积单个细胞和微粒，结合其他两种打印模式，将促进增材制造、组织工程、动植物细胞生物学、功能材料工程和生物电子学等领域的基础和应用研究。数百名大学和K-12学生，博士后，以及NC州立大学和合作伙伴大学和行业的专业劳动力将接触到这个系统，这是北卡罗来纳州的第一个，通过各种研究，教育和推广活动。这种多模式系统能够在打印过程中实现微米精度以及细胞和微粒级控制（分辨率100 µm），将支持各种跨学科研究项目，利用多种长度尺度的各种有机和无机材料。支持的研究活动示例包括：1）肌肉骨骼组织工程的LIFT过程物理和过程结构表征; 2）开发更可靠的类器官3）研究调节不同植物干细胞间细胞间通讯的调节机制，以设计具有所需性状的植物; 4）设计具有特定组成和微结构的功能性软材料复合材料，以实现独特的光子、机械和生物特性;以及5）研究生物识别图案设计、特定结合化学和表面相互作用，以开发小型化、多路复用的生物传感器和生物电子学。该系统将有助于开发治疗和诊断组织工程产品;健壮的植物和农产品;生物医学设备，传感器和电子产品;以及具有国家和全球重要性的功能软材料。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Bioprinting technologies are critical enablers for fundamental research and applications in a variety of biomedical and biological domains. This grant will facilitate the acquisition of a high-resolution bioprinting system equipped with one-of-its-kind laser induced forward transfer (LIFT), micro-valve drop-on-demand, and micro-extrusion printing capabilities along with an imaging system driven by machine learning algorithms for in-line quality assessment of printed structures. LIFT, which enables precise, pressure-free deposition of individual cells and microparticles, in conjunction with the other two printing modalities, will catalyze fundamental and applied research in domains including additive manufacturing, tissue engineering, animal and plant cell biology, functional materials engineering, and bioelectronics. Hundreds of college and K-12 students, postdocs, and professional workforce at NC State University and partner universities and industry will be exposed to this system, the first of its kind in the state of North Carolina, through various research, education, and outreach activities. This multimodal system, which enables micrometric precision and cellular and microparticle-level control during printing (resolution 100 µm), will support various interdisciplinary research projects leveraging a broad range of organic and inorganic materials at multiple length scales. Examples of research activities enabled include: 1) LIFT process physics and process-structure characterization for musculoskeletal tissue engineering; 2) development of more reliable organoids (e.g. skin, gut, lung) for tissue engineering, oncology, and drug screening applications; 3) investigation of regulatory mechanisms that modulate cell-to-cell communication across different plant stem cells toward designing plants with desired traits; 4) designing functional soft material composites with specific compositions and micro-architectures to achieve unique photonic, mechanical, and biological properties; and 5) investigating bio-recognition pattern designs, specific binding chemistries, and surface interactions toward developing miniaturized, multiplexed biosensors and bioelectronics. The system will contribute to the development of therapeutic and diagnostic tissue engineered products; robust plants and agro-products; biomedical devices, sensors, and electronics; and functional soft materials among other applications of national and global importance.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.