Perły Nauki

Project title: Initating systems for 3D printing of hydrogels with adjustable conductivity and mechanical properties


Principal investigator: mgr inż. Dominika Krok-Janiszewska

 

Obtained funds: 239 580 PLN

 

Project duration:

Start day: 2023-05-25

End day: 2027-05-25

 

Funding institution:

Ministry of Education and Science

 

Project cooperation

Prof. Małgorzata Tyszka-Czochara, Jagiellonian Univeristy, Cracow

 

Short disctoption of the project:

This proposal will develop new high-performance, water-soluble photoinitiator systems dedicated to radical and/or cationic polymerisation processes induced by light in the visible (Vis) range. In view of the ongoing search for effective initiating systems with the highest possible water solubility and good matching of the absorption characteristics to the emission characteristics of modern, environmentally friendly light sources such as Vis-LEDs, a research plan has been proposed to develop, investigate and test for application the new photoinitiating systems developed. The new photoinitiating systems to be developed will mainly be based on third-generation ionic liquid structures and will be dedicated to bioprinting processes (3D printing realised with light) to obtain 3D hydrogel structures for biomedical applications. The bioprinted hydrogel structures will ultimately serve as biocompatible electrically conductive three-dimensional scaffolds for the regeneration of cardiac tissue of patients suffering from damaged myocardial cells, whose function is to generate and conduct electrical impulses to stimulate the heart to contract. As part of the planned project, a safety assessment of the photoinitiating systems under development is to be carried out, including analysis of the proliferation of human normal cells of mesenchymal origin on 3D printed electrically conductive hydrogel materials resulting from 3D bioprinting. A phase of this research will also address the possibility of assessing the effect of the developed conductivity-controlled hydrogel materials on the stimulation of regeneration processes in damaged cardiac tissue to support myocardial therapy. The present work will be able to be carried out in collaboration with the Department of Bromatology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University.