Section of 3D Tissues and Biofabrication | ZHAW Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology ICBT

«With a background in biotechnology, material sciences and tissue engineering my main interest is developing novel tissue models for industrial applications focusing on substance testing. To do so, depending on the application we are choosing the appropriate technology ranging from simple microtissue models to complex bioprinted co-culture tissue models.»

Dr. Markus Rimann, Head of Section

The goal of our research activities is to culture human cells under physiological conditions. To do so, we employ different three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems. Depending on the application the cells are cultured in scaffold-free or in scaffold-based systems. We have expertise in bioprinting for many years and use the promising technology successfully in industry-driven projects. Bioprinting allows producing living tissues in a layer-by-layer mode by depositing cells, (extracellular) matrix and bioactive molecules precisely in 3D space. The 3D tissues are developed for drug and substance testing, as well as for personalized medicine.

TEDD
Team

Competences

Our developments are used in areas such as

Bioprinting and bioink development
Primary human cell cultures (healthy, cancer)
Scaffold-free and scaffold-based 3D cell cultures
Automated 3D cell cultures
Development of fluidic cell culture systems
Tissues of interest : muscle, tendon, liver, kidney, skin, osteosarcoma
Applications : drug and substance testing, personalized medicine

Our research laboratories provide a modern infrastructure and methodological expertise.

We offer our project partners a wide range of cooperation opportunities. Customized solutions are provided in the frame of Bachelor’s and Master’s theses and directly or third party funded projects (Innosuisse, SNF, Foundations, EU projects).

The competence centre "Tissue Engineering for Drug Development and Substance Testing" TEDD was founded in 2010 by the members of the section “Tissue Engineering” and provides a platform combining knowledge, technologies and partners from research and industry.

TEDD

Publications

Bono, Epifania; Sheard, Jonathan; Mikkonen, Piia; Rimann, Markus,

2022.

Automation of 3D cell culture using cellulose-based scaffolds [poster].

In:

Biointerfaces International Conference (BIC), Zurich, Switzerland, 12-15 September 2022.

Winterthur:

ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-25998
D'Agostino, Stefania; Rimann, Markus; Gamba, Piergiorgio; Perilongo, Giorgio; Pozzobon, Michela; Raghunath, Michael,

2022.

Macromolecular crowding tuned extracellular matrix deposition in a bioprinted human rhabdomyosarcoma model.

Bioprinting.

27(e00213).

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bprint.2022.e00213
Rimann, Markus; Jüngel, Astrid; Mousavi, Sara; Moeschlin, Nicole; Calcagni, Maurizio; Wuertz-Kozak, Karin; Brunner, Florian; Dudli, Stefan; Distler, Oliver; Adlhart, Christian,

2022.

Acrylonitrile and pullulan based nanofiber mats as easily accessible scaffolds for 3D skin cell models containing primary cells.

Cells.

11(3), pp. 445.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11030445
Kopanska, Katarzyna S; Rimann, Markus,

2022.

Cross-industrial applications of organotypic models.

ALTEX - Alternatives to Animal Experimentation.

39(1), pp. 155-158.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2112202
Alave Reyes-Furrer, Angela; De Andrade, Sonia; Bachmann, Dominic; Jeker, Heidi; Steinmann, Martin; Accart, Nathalie; Dunbar, Andrew; Rausch, Martin; Bono, Epifania; Rimann, Markus; Keller, Hansjörg,

2021.

Matrigel 3D bioprinting of contractile human skeletal muscle models recapitulating exercise and pharmacological responses.

Communications Biology.

4(1), pp. 1183.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02691-0