This week we worked with Filippos on bioprinting using genetically modified e.coli. The e.coli had been tranfected with a plasmid that encodes for the green flourescent protein (GFP).
This week we worked with Filippos on bioprinting using genetically modified e.coli. The e.coli had been tranfected with a plasmid that encodes for the green flourescent protein (GFP).
First, we learned about the axis machine he made and the tools that would be needed for bioprinting. The software interface is quite similar to the shopbot milling machine. The only difference is that this process is additive, like a 3D printer, versus the drill substractive. As you can see, the needle is quite thin at 250 microns.
Our first test was with the green gel, which is made of pluronic combined with a green dye. Pluronic is a block copolymer and can function as thickeners and emulsifiers. The reason there are dots on the print is because the base is not exactly level. Nothing live yet!
The second step was to bring in the good stuff and use the flourescing e.coli to do a test "print" with a syringe. To make the e.coli more viscous, we had to mix the Allevi Pluronic F127.
E.coli + pluronic = gel like consistency.
I tried to make a topographic spiral but it didn't quite turn out great because the gel was still too watery. However, you can see the flourescent glow under the transilluminator.
Using the software to to obtain the image.
The next step of the project was to bring in a model of our choice to bioprint. I used the model that I'm planning to create for my Tamagotchi and loaded it into the software as an STL file.
The software enables cool geometries, that can be printed.
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