Tufts University biomedical engineers are using low-energy, ultrafast laser technology to make high-resolution, 3D structures in silk protein hydrogels. The laser-based micropatterning represents a new approach to customized engineering of tissue and biomedical implants.

An ultrafast, femtosecond laser generated scalable, high-resolution 3D voids within silk protein hydrogel, a soft, transparent biomaterial that supports cell growth and allows cells to penetrate deep within it. The Tufts researchers created voids at multiple scales as small as 10 microns and as large at 400 microns over a large volume.

The clarity of the transparent silk gels enabled the laser's photons to be absorbed nearly 1 cm below the surface of the gel.

The laser treatment can be done while keeping the cell culture sealed and sterile. Unlike most 3D printing, the technique does not require photoinitiators, compounds that promote photoreactivity but are typically bio-incompatible.

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