3D Printing of Bacteria

The Meyer lab is developing first-of-their-kind bacterial 3D printers that can deposit engineered bacteria in specific three-dimensional patterns using simple devices and chemistries. We can create stacked printed layers of bacteria (<1 mm in thickness) with negligible mixing of bacteria between layers.

The 3D printer offers enormous flexibility to position bacteria both laterally and vertically on the printing substrate. We plan to take advantage of this flexibility to design new patterned materials produced by the printed bacteria.

Genetically engineered bacteria can be printed and then induced to produce the biofilm protein CsgA. These engineered bacteria stick to the printed surface even after the printing scaffold is dissolved away, showing that the biofilm matrix has formed. These model biofilms will be applied to develop new anti-biofilm treatments, or to create beneficial biofilms that could be used for water purification or mineral extraction.