Aqueous biphasic microprinting approach to tissue engineering

We summarize a recently developed microtechnology for printing biomaterials on biological surfaces. The technique is based on the use of immiscible aqueous solutions of two biopolymers and allows spatially defined placement of cells and biomolecules suspended in the denser aqueous phase on existing cell layers and extracellular matrix hydrogel surfaces maintained in the second phase. Printing takes place due to an extremely small interfacial tension and density difference between the two aqueous phases. The contact-free printing process ensures that both printed cells and the underlying cell monolayer maintain full viability and functionality. The technique accommodates both arbitrarily shaped patterns and microarrays of cells and bioreagents. The capability to print cells and small molecules on existing cell layers enables unique interrogations of the effects of cell-cell and cell-material interaction on cell fate and function. Furthermore, the very gentle conditions and the ability to directly pattern nongel embedded cells over cells make this technology appealing to tissue engineering applications where patterned multicellar organization with minimal scaffolding materials is needed, such as in dense tissues of the skeletal muscle and liver.