Come build your own next-gen 3D printer
Motivation
Tissue engineering is key to reducing healthcare cost and to alleviating the under-supply of human organs. Currently, it is estimated that ca. $2.5 billion and 10-12 years are needed to develop one clinically applicable drug. This cost can be curbed by engineering tissues for more efficient pre-clinical drug screening. Meanwhile, there is an utter mismatch between the clinical demand and the supply of human organs. More than 100,000 patients in the world are waiting to receive donation. The main sources remain from deceased donors – whole organ fabrication will be required in the future. Vascularization is essential to tissue and organ viability. Our ultimate goal is to reverse computed tomography (CT) in light-assisted 3D printing to enable ultrafast bioprinting of fully vascularized artificial tissues.
Read the complete project proposal here
In the menu bar, to the left, you can see another project proposal titled 'Microstructure Evolution in Geologic Carbon Storage'
Research Directions
You are encouraged to contact us early (yyan@dtu.dk) to discuss your research interest and academic background. A concrete scientific question and associated research objectives will be laid out according to the outcome of such discussions. In general, this interdisciplinary project operates at the convergence of at least three research lines:
Opto-mechanical engineering: you will have the chance to design and test optical setups that minimize beam étendue and optimize printing resolution/fidelity. Emphasis is put on experimental skills – candidates with mechanical engineering background and/or enjoys DIYing new machine-tools are most welcome to contact us.
Polymer chemistry: you will have the chance to synthesize new photopolymers or test new precursor recipes that are optimized for the new 3D printing strategy. Alternatively, you may choose to test the biocompatibility of existing polymer resins and evaluate their applicability in engineering artificial tissues. Candidates with a background in chemistry will be favored.
Computer sciences: you will have the chance to improve the current, Radon transform-based algorithm for pattern sequence computation. Such improvement will lead to greater geometric fidelity of the workpiece and a better control over surface smoothness. Alternatively, you may investigate the conversion between CAD format and grayscale volume data or choose to design an inline monitoring system that provides real time feedback to sequence control.
Project Options
M.Sc./B.Sc. Projects at DTU Kemi, in collaboration with DTU Mekanik and DTU Compute