What can biofabrication do for space and what can space do for biofabrication?

Lorenzo Moroni*, Kevin Tabury, Hilde Stenuit, Daniela Grimm, Sarah Baatout, Vladimir Mironov*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal(Systematic) Review article peer-review

Abstract

Biofabrication in space is one of the novel promising and prospective research directions in the rapidly emerging field of space STEM. There are several advantages of biofabrication in space. Under microgravity, it is possible to engineer constructs using more fluidic channels and thus more biocompatible bioinks. Microgravity enables biofabrication of tissue and organ constructs of more complex geometries, thus facilitating novel scaffold-, label-, and nozzle-free technologies based on multi-levitation principles. However, when exposed to microgravity and cosmic radiation, biofabricated tissues could be used to study pathophysiological phenomena that will be useful on Earth and for deep space manned missions. Here, we provide leading concepts about the potential mutual benefits of the application of biofabrication technologies in space.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)398-411
Number of pages14
JournalTrends in Biotechnology
Volume40
Issue number4
Early online date17 Sept 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022

Keywords

  • CHALLENGES
  • MICROGRAVITY
  • ORGANOIDS
  • RADIATION
  • SKILLS
  • TISSUES

Cite this