Sustainable 3D Printing with Soy-derived Bioink

Abstract

Nutritional foods and medical resources have become prohibitively expensive. As a result, many socio-economically disadvantaged populations continue to choose between long-term health or immediate survival. There is a direct correlation between the increased utilization of medical resources and disease states caused by poor nutrition. Therefore research of methods that increase access to nutritional foods while simultaneously reducing the cost of medical resources is highly advantageous. Three-dimensional (3D) printing combined with soy-derived bioinks (SBDs) offers the advantage of reducing processing waste, encouraging customization, while also lowering production costs. Fabrication of 3D food and tissue constructs is a promising solution to address nutritious food and medical resource cost and scarcity. Easily cultivated soy-derived protein is a ubiquitous resource that has been determined to be safe and contains many bioactive properties. 3D printing can create reproducible complex geometries with automated processes. This project will research and implement the development of a versatile SDBs for use in 3D printing for soy-based food applications.