Fraunhofer shared an update on its PhysioINK project on October 1, 2026. Researchers are developing bioinks intended to reproduce tissue structures more faithfully while remaining printable.
Controlling when proteins organize
The approach combines structural proteins, including collagen and elastin, with tailored cellulose sulfates. These help keep the proteins in a printable state. A temperature change then allows the proteins to organize into fibrous or network-like structures.
Fraunhofer reports that the team has printed initial skin tissue models using type I collagen ink. The broader project is also targeting intestinal tumor models for drug research and cardiac tissue research.
What this update establishes
The reported progress concerns materials and tissue models. It does not mean complete replacement organs are ready for transplantation.
Our takeaway: bioprinting depends on what happens after material leaves the nozzle as much as on the shape being printed. The final internal structure is part of the manufacturing challenge.
Read Fraunhofer's PhysioINK research update.
Featured photograph: lattice-structure printing, © Fraunhofer ISC / K. Selsam.