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3D printing of gels with living photosynthetic algae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2016

Paul Calvert
Paul Calvert*
Affiliation:
New Mexico Tech., Socorro NM 87801
*
*(Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Chlorella is a green, photosynthetic single-celled genus of algae. It can be 3D printed as a suspension in sodium alginate and gelled with calcium solutions. We have made “log pile” structures with channels between the gel lines to allow easy transport of nutrients and products. Under white light and immersed in solutions of bicarbonate and phosphate and urea “plant food” the algae multiply with the gel and produce oxygen at a rate comparable to that reported for suspensions of Chlorella. The system is stable for one or two weeks at least. In principle this can be extended to other plant tissues but there are concerns relating to bacterial and fungal infection and toxicity of the gel components. In addition a tougher gel is needed if this was to be converted to a practical bioreactor system.

Keywords

biomimetic (assembly)cellular (material form)polymer
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Advances , Volume 1 , Issue 36: Soft Materials and Biomaterials , 2016 , pp. 2569 - 2572
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 

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References

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