Researchers at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela have created and patented a unique bio-ink that has the potential to greatly revolutionise tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting, especially in the areas of bone and cartilage regeneration.
A high shape-fidelity protein–polysaccharide composite bio-ink that overcomes significant drawbacks in current materials has been developed by the research team, which is headed by Prof. Devendra Verma and includes scholars Shreya Chrungoo and Dr. Tanmay Bharadwaj.
Bio-inks are crucial for creating tissue-like structures via 3D bioprinting, but their wider use has been limited by difficulties in concurrently obtaining mechanical strength, biological compatibility, and printability. By incorporating these crucial characteristics, the recently created bio-ink gets beyond these obstacles.

The team has obtained a patent for the invention, and the study's results have been published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
Bovine serum albumin, sodium alginate, and polyelectrolyte complexes of gelatin and chitosan are combined in the bio-ink to provide a bioactive system that promotes cell development while preserving structural integrity both during and after printing.
Over 90% of cells were viable in lab tests, and the results were encouraging in terms of replicating the structure of bone tissue. The finding may lead to patient-specific therapy in regenerative medicine, according to researchers, and the next steps will be clinical and animal investigations.