3D Bio Printer

Reproductions from sand , urea and bacteria

RAPID PROTOTYPING METHOD USING BIOPRINTING

1.Introduction
The project is describing a low-cost and effective method of three dimensional reproduction using the inject propulsion system form a conventional printer, sand and bio Ink.

This printer is using Sporosarcina Pasteuri bacteria as a binder between the sand particles. This bacteria is capable binding together Silicon dioxide particles through the help of Urease Hydrolysis.
When the hydrolysis is taking place in a calcium rich environment, it generates Calcium Carbonate under it's Calcite form. The most stable and hard state of Calcium Carbonate.
For the three dimensional reproduction, the printer will print two dimensional cross-section of the object onto 100-500 micron layers of sand.

A. a small quantity of sand is dispensed by the cylinder in the left compartment.
B. the sand in evenly distributed on the work surface area.
C. the printer head is printing the binder.
And the process repeats it self.


2. Detailed description of the binding process

The hydrolysis of urea by the widely distributed enzyme urease is special in that it is one of the few biologically occurring reactions that can generate carbonate ions
without an associated production of protons. When this hydrolysis occurs in a
calcium-rich environment, calcite (calcium carbonate) precipitates from solution
forming a solid-crystalline material. The binding strength of the precipitated
crystals is highly dependent on the rate of carbonate formation and under suitable
conditions it is possible to control the reaction to generate hard binding calcite
cement (or Biocement). The objective of this thesis was to develop an industrially
suitable cost-effective microbial process for the production of urease active cells
and investigate the potential for urease active cells to act as a catalyst for the
production of Biocement.




3. Project Status

A few images of the prototype. It's still in the test phase but here are the results.

























References

- Biosurface engineering through inkjet printing
MohidusSamadKhana, DenieceFonb, XuLia, JunfeiTiana, JohnForsytheb, GilGarniera
- P. Calvert, Inkjet printing for materials and devices, Chemistry of Materials
2001
-Microbial CaCO3 Precipitation fot the production of Biociment

http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/399/1/01Front.pdf

2004
- Bio-Soil Improvement - Soil Interactions
Laboratory http://www.sil.ucdavis.edu/projects-bsi.htm
- Bacteria against desertification - Magnus Larsson http://www.magnuslarsson.com/architecture/dune.asp
2008

Eugen Paul Popescu

ro:3d bioprinter_