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International Journal of Bioprinting 3D-printed nanocomposites: Synthesis & applications

created using this method can be used as a disease model bacterial cellulose substrate, which provides carbon, and
to study how vessel morphology affects blood flow and they can survive in the alginate matrix for at least 3 days
clogging. Carotid bifurcation construct in centimeter scale without nutrients. The regenerative and reusable microalgal
with good interconnectivity was successfully printed by cells could also make new bioinks. The bioprinted
Wu et al. They also fabricated multisegment hollow tube constructs stuck stably to the cellulose substrate and did
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models with different moduli via a customized dual-syringe not release microalgae after being immersed in water,
system. The engineered vessels could withstand pulsatile suggesting its use in environmental remediation. Qian et
flow over 863,000 cycles, implying its excellent mechanical al. constructed microporous structures using bacteria that
integrity and feasibility for diagnostic applications. transform carbon into useful compounds in their ink.
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Besides the aforementioned tissues, other organs The freeze-dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells in
and tissues, such as liver, 163-165 muscle, 166-168 and neuronal the bioink make the PEGDA and nanocellulose hybrid
tissues, 169-171 have been investigated. With the advancement mix thicker and thinner. The cells inside the non-sterile
of the bioprinting strategies, multiscale tissue constructs capsules worked for 4 months, suggesting that they could
with vasculature or neuron, large-scale biomimetic be used as a biocatalyst for bioremediation (Figure 7a–c).
tissue constructs, or anisotropic tissue models have been Seidel et al. demonstrated that plant cells were compatible
successfully created. Nevertheless, instead of creating entire with bioprinting process and exhibited high viability
organs that accurately recreate the anatomy and physiology and metabolic activity, showing potential application in
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of the organ, which is the next step of 3D bioprinting environmental science. The fabricated microporous 3D
development, the focus of current research lies primarily on grid constructs with immobilized plant cells remained
tissue organization and concept demonstration. Although stable under culture conditions, allowing long-term
most research mentioned in this review investigated control of mass transfer and diffusion paths of substrates.
the biocompatibility and bioactivity of the bioinks, the 3D-bioprinted living bioremediation materials can
degradation profiles and their in vivo response also need be utilized for different purposes. Schaffner et al. created
to be characterized for future clinical trials. In summary, functional structures using Pseudomonas putida in a
it is anticipated that 3D bioprinting will facilitate the hydrogel made of hyaluronic acid, κ-carrageenan, and
development of the field of regenerative medicine. fumed silica. The hydrogel’s bacterial metabolism and
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growth were studied, and the inks were found to support
7. Applications of 3D-printed polymer com- bacterial growth. Various forms were 3D-bioprinted,
posites for environmental treatment and bacteria were properly placed to immobilize and

In the past decades, 3D bioprinting has been widely localize. The released and immobilized bacteria of the
applied in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. printed structures turned toxic phenol into biomass.
Meanwhile, the microorganisms-encapsulated bioinks Additionally, printed constructs can be easily isolated from
are developed to broaden its applications in energy and the environment and recycled multiple times, minimizing
environmental science, covering photosynthesis, biofuel secondary contamination. Similarly, Liu et al. immobilized
production, and bioremediation, such as wastewater laccase to fabricate constructs for the degradation of
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treatment and air purification, but the relevant studies phenolic compounds. The engineered laccase-laden
remain scarce. 172-174 For example, techniques such as ion constructs exhibited good stability and reusability.
exchange, adsorption, and flocculation-precipitation Deng et al. fabricated “living filter” for bioremediation
have been widely used to treat water polluted by heavy via 3D bioprinting. The hierarchical frameworks were
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metals, dye, and antibiotics. 175-177 However, the main assembled with conductive bacterial “cable” produced
issue of wastewater treatment strategies is the secondary by a coaxial microfluidic device (Figure 7d). The bioink
pollution; therefore, biological wastewater treatment that was composed of living catalyst, Shewanella loihica PV-
involves microorganisms to reduce the negative impact on 4, alginate, and GO. The S. loihica metabolized GO to
environment is an alternative. rGO, contributing to the electrical connection of adjacent
Several groups use algae, plant cells, yeast, and bacteria cells and expansion of the extracellular electron transfer
to bioprint live materials for use in the field environmental surface area (Figure 7e). The biocatalytic ability of S.
science. For instance, Balasubramanian et al. printed loihica guaranteed the reduction of heavy metal ions to
mono- or multilayered microalgal cell-encapsulated solid nanoparticles. Moreover, Cr (VI) treatment efficiency
alginate on bacterial cellulose/CaCl substrate. The in the hierarchical frameworks was much higher than
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microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii can grow that in the bulk counterpart due to the enhanced mass/
photoautotrophically and chemotropically on agar or charge transport (Figure 7f). This implies that biological

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 95 doi: 10.36922/ijb.1637