Traditional cell biology research is commonly done in Petri dishes and microwells, but these two-dimensional and static environments differ significantly from the dynamic three-dimensional structures found in human bodies. One promising approach to remedy this limitation is to use two-photon polymerization to directly 3Dprint highly precise microscale cell scaffolds, where the submicron resolution of this technology enables the creation of custom structures that resemble human organs and tissues.

In this project, two masters' students will use NTNU’s UpNano NanoOne 3D printer located at NTNU Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering to develop and print microscale scaffold structures that will then be tested at NTNU Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine. The two students will develop and characterize 3D printed scaffolds printed in two different materials, each with distinct mechanical properties, to create and evaluate a variety of 3D printed scaffolds. These scaffolds will be integrated, or even printed directly into microfluidic channels, with the final aim of developing better cancer models and improving future cancer research.

Preferred qualifications:

• Interest in experimental work and the development of new fabrication processes

• Interest in 3D printing

• Interested in programmatically generating and exporting various scaffold geometries

Workload:

Two student projects, each with a Specialization Project (15 ECTS) and Master thesis (30 ECTS)

Contact

Håkon J. D. Johnsen, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, hakon.j.d.johnsen@ntnu.no
Naresh Kumar Veldurthi, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, naresh.k.veldurthi@ntnu.no
Øyvind Halaas, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, oyvind.halaas@ntnu.no