14 DAY TRIAL // Normally, bioprinters cost a lot of money, in the range of several hundreds of thousands, exceeded in that regard only by the bigger and badder metal 3D printing machines. Now, though, an affordable bioprinter has finally been created.
We are using the term “affordable” kind of loosely here, since the price of five thousand dollars is still kind of high for any one person.
But 3D bioprinters are only going to be used by professional scientific research centers, universities and bioengineering firms, where the price is more than adequate.
In fact, even the full price of twenty-five grand is more than adequate, considering that it wasn't so long ago that bioprinters were considered low-cost so long as they sold for less than two hundred thousand dollars / euro.
The 3D printer turning heads from all around the world is the one that just got launched by BioBots, a 3D bioprinting startup from Philadelphia.
The BioBots low-cost bioprinter
Called simply BioBots, the printer created three-dimensional objects out of living tissue like collagen from substances like alginate, hydrogels, agarose and polyethylene glycol.
Both living and unliving cell tissue can be created, like scaffolds, and the printer thus allows researchers to print dozens of different cell types for their experiments. UV light is used to harden them 9cure them) without damage to the cells.
Certainly a lot easier and less time consuming than having to harvest cells from various animals and people and waiting for weeks until they grow into large enough harvests.
BioBots has a resolution of 80 micrometers, which is better than for most FDM and some SLA printers. Not that comparisons between them are exactly viable, mind you.
Availability
Those that feel they can participate in the beta program can get a printer for five thousand dollars. The printer will be accompanied by a 1-year service agreement, the software package, and online access to a community of collaborators who work together to solve different bioprinting issues. Showcasing your work to conferences around the world is also on the table.
For those that want just the printer with no strings attached, pre-orders are $25,000 / €22,000.
