Anna Fritschen, M.Sc.

In the future, so-called Organs-on-a-Chip can be used as a replacement for complex drug and toxicity tests on animals in pharmacology. Organs-on-a-Chip are microfluidic systems in which human or animal cells, which are embedded in a matrix material, are supplied with nutrients and exposed to pharmaceutical substances. For these model, 3D bioprinting systems can be a powerful tool for the automated and complex arrangement of cells on the microfluidic chip.

As part of the development of such Organs-on-a-Chip, I am working on the development, implementation and characterization of 3D-bioprinting systems and prosses for the fabrication of these tissue models. To ensure an optimal nutrient supply in these systems, the integration of blood vessel systems is essential. The approaches I am investigating include the spontaneous self-assembly of vascular networks by blood vessel cells, but also the integration of synthetic vascular networks using high-resolution two-photon lithography. With regard to the production of microfluidic chips, I am researching the use of conventional 3D printing systems for precisely this area.