Potential Material for Bio‐Printing Applications

Bioprinting is an advanced additive manufacturing technique that can be used for fabrication of artificial organs, tissues, scaffolds, and platforms for new drug discovery and testing. However, despite the hardware capabilities, the exiting materials often lack the capabilities that are essential for unlocking the full capabilities of bioprinting. To address these issues, various potential materials are being developed for use in bioprinting applications. Natural polymers are the most used materials due to inherent bioactivity and biocompatibility. Synthetic polymers are also widely used for their easy availability and tuneable mechanical properties. Composite bioinks are used to develop materials that closely mimic the native ECM architecture and obtain favorable mechanical properties. This chapter lists the various factors that need to be considered for bioink selection and various materials that have potential for use in bioprinting applications. Various properties of the different bioink materials, their advantages and limitations have been discussed. Various emerging materials that are gaining prominence in the field have also been critically analyzed. The chapter aims to provide a gateway into various materials that can be potentially used for unlocking the full potential of bioprinting.