Aleph Objects and FluidForm announce exciting bioprinting collaboration
Aleph Objects Inc., based in Colorado and manufacturer of LulzBot 3D printers, known for being free to be copied, modified and converted by all users had an exciting announcement. Recently, they announced a new bioprinting hardware coming this summer with the long-term goal of creating real functional tissues. It is true that bioprinting technologies are seeing a tremendous growth and many groundbreaking advancements have happened in the last few months. Maybe one of the most groundbreaking was the small 3D bioprinted heart developed by researchers from Tel-Aviv! Well, manufacturers are also investing in this segment of AM.
In fact, in order to do so, Aleph Objects will collaborate with FluidForm Inc., an innovator in 3D bioprinting. Its FRESH technique enables 3D printing of bioinks and other soft materials. Through this collaboration, both companies will combine their expertise to offer new bioprinting solutions. The first solution we will see is a new bioprinting hardware coming this summer. Adam Feinberg, FluidForm CTO explains, “We’re still at the very beginning of being able to build real functional tissues with 3D bioprinting. Collaborations like the one we are building with LulzBot will help make this a reality faster”.
FluidForm’s FRESH bioprinting technique harnesses the power of non-newtonian gels to allow movement through a material like it’s a liquid, while supporting deposited material like it’s a solid | Credits: FluidForm
It is true that bioprinting technologies are revolutionizing applications across a wide spectrum of industries – including pharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine, drug screening, food and other animal products, cell-based biosensors, and testing of healthcare and other health care goods. One important application of bioprinted tissues is for cosmetics testing. It is expected that within the next decade major pharmaceutical companies will be able to replace some animal testing with relevant 3D bioprinted human tissues.
Grant Flaharty, Aleph Objects CEO and President said, “Combining proven expertise in professional 3D printers and hardware with 3D biofabrication technology is going to be an absolute game-changer. The market for 3D bioprinters and 3D bioprinted tissues is estimated to grow to $1.9 billion by 2028.”
*Cover photo credits: Aleph Objects Inc.
What do you think of this new collaboration? Let us know what you think in a comment below or on our Facebook and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter, with all the latest news in 3D printing delivered straight to your inbox!
