Development of printable bacterial nanocellulose bioinks for bioprinting applications

This research has developed a printable bioink formulated with bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and sodium alginate. The bioink composition offers a unique combination of printability, mechanical strength, and high BNC content. A low-cost 3D bioprinting platform, with in-situ crosslinking capabilities, was designed and fabricated to facilitate the creation of complex constructs. Rheological analysis revealed shear-thinning behaviour, a critical property for efficient 3D bioprinting. The printed constructs exhibited exceptional resolution, printability, and self-supporting features at BNC loadings up to 72 wt.% in dried structures. The optimal ink composition was found, containing 7.8 wt.% BNC and 3 wt.% sodium alginate. These findings highlight the potential for this BNC-alginate bioink for bio-fabrication applications demanding both printability and high biomaterial content.