Kombucha for Healing: SeoulTech’s Bioink Brings Bioprinting One Step Closer to the ER – 3DPrint.com

A handheld pen that applies tailor-made bioink directly onto wounds could soon become a reality, thanks to an unexpected but powerful ingredient: Kombucha. Researchers at Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech) have developed a bioink derived from Kombucha, making personalized tissue repair more accessible, efficient, and even sustainable, with no lab, no delays, just instant tissue healing.

Their research, recently published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, introduces a bioink that can be directly applied to damaged tissue through a handheld digital biopen, skipping the need for in vitro tissue engineering. This could change the game for emergency wound treatment, military medics, and even disaster relief efforts, where time and resources are critical.

From Tea to Tissue Repair

A fermented tea drink, Kombucha is made using a mix of bacteria and yeast, known as Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast or SCOBY. This mix naturally produces nanocellulose, a biodegradable material that is safe for cells and perfect for tissue engineering. But in its raw form, nanocellulose is too tangled to be easily used for bioprinting.

To fix this, the research team strengthened it with chitosan, a positively charged polymer, and kaolin, a negatively charged nanoparticle found in clay. These two materials help the bioink stay stable by creating a strong structure without needing extra chemicals. Because of this, the bioink keeps its shape after printing, making it useful for building complex, multi-layered tissue structures.

This stable hydrogel bioink can be used directly on injuries. Unlike traditional methods that require growing cells in a lab first, this approach allows for real-time use in medical settings. However, while the technology looks promising, it is still in the research phase and has not yet been approved for patient use.

In the study titled Simultaneous processing of both handheld biomixing and biowriting of kombucha cultured pre-crosslinked nanocellulose bioink for regeneration of irregular and multi-layered tissue defects, the researchers tested the bioink in lab experiments (in vitro) to see how well it prints, holds its shape and supports cell growth. They used 3D printed molds to simulate real injuries and see if the bioink could fill and repair them properly. These models included simulated cranial and femoral head defects, which are particularly challenging to treat due to their complex shapes.

At this stage, the bioink has not been tested in vivo, on live tissues, or in animal models, meaning it remains in the early testing phase. Instead, researchers evaluated its potential for tissue repair through cell cultures, specifically using mouse osteoblast (bone) cells (MC3T3-E1) to analyze cell viability and behavior within the bioink. While the results suggest promising applications for tissue engineering, further in vivo studies and clinical trials will be needed before they can be widely adopted in hospitals or emergency settings.

The Power of the Digital Biopen

At the heart of this innovation is the “Biowork” biopen, a handheld device developed by MatrixCell Bio, a bioprinting spinoff from SeoulTech’s startup incubation center founded by Professor Insup Noh, who is the CEO of MatrixCell Bio, a professor at SeoulTech and lead researcher of this study.

It resembles a futuristic glue gun, but instead of glue, it “dispenses live-cell-infused bioink to heal wounds” in layers. With two counter-rotating screws inside, the pen ensures uniform mixing of cells, hydrogels, and healing agents before applying them precisely onto irregularly shaped wounds.

The handheld biopen by SeoulTech and MatrixCell Bio. Image courtesy of MatrixCell Bio.

The biopen isn’t just for handheld use; it can also be mounted onto high-resolution bioprinters. This means it can either be used manually for direct application on wounds or use the biopen as part of a controlled bioprinting system to create detailed, self-supporting tissue structures. Since MatrixCell Bio specializes in bioprinting technology, this device was designed with both medical flexibility and advanced biofabrication in mind.

Researchers tested the biopen to print multi-layered structures and its ability to repair simulated defects, such as cranial and femoral cartilage damage. They demonstrated that the bioink could be applied with precision, either in freeform patterns for irregular wounds or in structured layers for more controlled tissue regeneration. It also showed its promise for medical use.

While the research highlights its potential for treating complex injuries, it is important to note that these tests were conducted on lab-generated defect models rather than live tissues. More studies, including in vivo testing, will be required before the biopen and bioink can be used in real-world medical applications.

However, this innovation means doctors and first responders could someday “draw” new tissue on damaged skin or cartilage, treating injuries without expensive equipment or laboratory delays. It could be particularly transformative in emergency care, battlefield medicine, or rural healthcare settings where advanced surgical procedures may not be available.

How the Biowork pen prints bioink for skin, bone, and cartilage repair. Image courtesy of Insup Noh/SeoulTech

Breaking Free from Traditional Bioprinting

Traditionally, bioprinting involves complex, time-intensive processes where tissue scaffolds are carefully cultivated in labs before being implanted. The SeoulTech team’s discovery eliminates that extra step.

“Our prefabricated nanocellulose hydrogel network from the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast has the potential to be used as a platform bioink for in vivo tissue engineering by loading all types of biomolecules and drugs and direct bioprinting,” said Noh, the lead researcher on the project.

If approved, the digital biopen would allow doctors to go straight from bioink to treatment, skipping the lab-based tissue engineering process. However, it is not the first attempt at developing a handheld bioprinter for medical applications. Similar devices, such as Professor Gordon Wallace’s Biopen, developed at the University of Wollongong for cartilage repair, and the Bioprint FirstAid Handheld Bioprinter, a collaborative project between TU Dresden and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), tested in microgravity for wound healing, have also been developed. While these technologies show great promise, they are still undergoing preclinical testing and further refinement before they can be widely adopted in clinical settings.

3D printed structures made with the Biowork pen. Image courtesy of Insup Noh/SeoulTech

This research could be helpful even beyond emergency rooms. Astronauts could use it in space to treat injuries quickly. Military medics could treat wounds right on the battlefield. Even in everyday healthcare, it could make skin grafts and burn treatments easier and cheaper for patients. For reference, in the U.S., a basic skin graft procedure can cost between $1,200 and $3,000, while treating severe burns can reach $1.6 million and, in complicated cases, even exceed $10 million.

By making treatment faster and reducing the need for major surgeries, this technology could lower costs and help patients get better care. It’s also sustainable since this bioink uses Kombucha SCOBY instead of synthetic or animal-based materials. With these goals in mind, researchers are now focused on the next step, which is bringing the Kombucha-based bioink and digital biopen to real-world medical applications, making personalized tissue repair accessible anywhere.