Support portal

Structural Bioinks have been developed and optimized as in a generic structural role within a bioprinted scaffold or cellularized construct. These bioinks can be considered base materials for development of new bioink blends or to serve as a carrier to position cells within a construct. Often these materials are void of tissue specific biological signals and they support a broad range of cell types.  

Examples of structural bioinks include compositions that consist on one material type such as alginate, gelatin methacrylate, collagen, that is optionally blended with a thickener to aid in the printing process.  

Standardized bioinks (and their applications) of this class developed by CELLINK include: 

CELLINK	Comprised of a blend of nanofibrillar cellulose and alginate Morphologically similar to collagen in microstructure Ionic crosslinking Wide range of cell types Can be easily modified with a variety of additives
GelMA	Derived from gelatin and modified with methacrylate groups which impart photocrosslinkability Retains structure and stiffnes after corsslinking Photocrosslinkable via photoinitiators Easily modifiable with a variety of additives Compatible with a wide range of cells
CELLINK Coll1	Derived from collagen Self-assembles to form a soft gel when neutralized and heated Special conditions require this ink to be printed using the temperature-controlled printhead Compatible as a base material for most tissues in the body
CELLINK ColMA	A methacrylated version of collagen which enables photocrosslinking to produce stiffer scaffolds Self-assembles to form a soft gel when neutralized and heated post-crosslinking Thermoreversible self-assembly due to the methacrylation of the collagen backbone Must be printed with the temperature-controlled printhead Compatible with most body tissues
CELLINK A	A high concentraion blend of alginate derived from brown seaweed Ionic crosslinking Utilized for drug encapsulation and drug delivery applications
GelMA A	A blend of GelMA with alginate that serves to reduce the thermosensitivity of the GelMA bioink base Crosslinks via two mechanisms: photocrosslinking and ionic crosslinking Methacrylate groups allows a variety of supplementary additives to be blended in and crosslinked within the network Compatible with a wide range of cells Lowered risk of nozzle clogging
GelMA C	A blend of GelMA with nanofibrillar cellulose that allows for greater rigidity when crosslinked Photocrosslinkable Methacrylate groups allows a variety of supplementary additives to be blended in and crosslinked into the network Compatible with a wide range of cells Can be modified to contain various growth factors and proteins
GelXA	A blend of GelMA with alginate and xanthan gum that serves to reduce the thermosensitivity of the GelMA bioink base Crosslinks via two mechanisms: Photocrosslinking and ionic crosslinking Methacrylate groups allows a variety of supplementary additives to be blended in and crosslinked into the network Compatible with a wide range of cell types Lower risk of nozzle clogging compared to GelMA Enhanced version of GelMA A
GelXG	A blend of GelMA with xantham gum that serves to reduce the thermosensitivity of the GelMA bioink base Photocrosslinkable Methacrylate groups allow a variety of supplementary additives to be blended in and crosslinked with the network Compatible with a wide range of cells Lower risk of nozzle clogging compared to pure GelMA

Functional Bioinks have been developed and optimized to provide environments that aim to guide cell development or differentiation toward a specific cell phenotype or tissue. These bioinks often build off of structural bioinks in their base composition and contain various additional proteins or matrix components that further specialize the bioink. Some of these bioinks still have broad tissue applications due to the ubiquity of the targeted cell type in many tissues while some are more limited in use due to their specialization. 

Examples of functional bioinks include compositions that contain peptide binding sites such as RGD, matrix components such as fibrin and laminins, or differentiation cues such as mineral. Often these bioinks have similar printability to their structural bases.  

Standardized bioinks of this class developed by CELLINK include: 

Standardized bioinks of this class developed by CELLINK include: 

CELLINK START	Comprised of a polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide blend Dissolves in warm PBS or water Can be utilized as a support structure for complex geometries Can be utilized as a support structure such as a perimeter for low viscosity bioinks
CELLINK SUPPORT	Comprised of nanofibrillar cellulose Can be utilized as a support structure for complex geometries Can be utilized as a support structure such as a perimeter for low viscosity bioinks Dissolves in warm PBS or water Can be used to thicken biomaterials to increase printability
CELLINK PLURONICS	Derived from pluronics F127 blend, this composition prints at high resolution that is very nozzle fidelic Suitable as a support structure for low viscosity bioinks Suitable for the incorporation of sacrificial and perfusable vascular networks and conduits within a scaffold construct Dissolvable in cold PBS or when placed in a freezer

Non-sacrificial Support Bioinks

Non-sacrificial Support Bioinks have been developed and optimized to provide more permanent structure and rigidity to a bioprinted construct. These materials often are based on thermoplastics or other materials that are often not blended with and bioprinted with cells. They can be utilized in conjugation with other bioinks to fabricate multifaceted scaffolds for applications in areas such as bone and cartilage or in non-tissue engineering roles such as soft robotics, medical devices, drug delivery systems, and prosthetics.  

Examples of a non-sacrificial support bioink includes thermoplastics such as PCL or PLGA, silicones, or crosslinkable PEG based hydrogels. 

Standardized bioinks of this class developed by CELLINK include: 

CELLINK PCL	50 kDaPolycaprolactone Crystalline microstructure Slow degradation (2 years) Prints with thermoplastic printhead
CELLINK PLGA	50:50 L to G ratio Amorphous structure Fast degradation (2 weeks) Prints with thermoplastic printhead
CELLINK PLA	Crystalline structure Slow degradation (2 years) Prints with thermoplastic printhead
CELLINK START X	Enhanced version of CELLINK START that is crosslinkable Permanent hydrogel support Can be blended with various molecules to act as a reservoir for their release
CELLINK XPLORE	Enhanced version of CELLINK bioink Permanent hydrogel support Good for modeling of tissue geometries and educational displays

Of course, CELLINK offers a large variety of bioinks including ones that have not been listed here. Visit the bioink section of our website for full details and specifications of each of our inks. 

Happy bioprinting!