Bioprinted Living Coral Microenvironments Mimicking Coral-Algal Symbiosis

摘要

The coral-algal symbiosis is the biological engine that drives one of themost spectacular structures on Earth: the coral reef. Here, living coralmicrohabitats are engineered using 3D bioprinting, as biomimetic modelsystem of the coral-algal symbiosis. Various bioinks for the encapsulation ofcoral photosymbiotic microalgae (Breviolum psygmophilum) are developedand coral mass transfer phenomena are mimicked by 3D bioprinting coraltissue and skeleton microscale features. At the tissue–seawater interface,the biomimetic coral polyp and connective tissue structures successfullyreplicate the natural build-up of the O_2 diffusive boundary layer. Inside thebioprinted construct, coral-like microscale gastric cavities are engineeredusing a multi-material bioprinting process. Underneath the tissue, theconstructs mimic the porous architecture of the coral aragonite skeletonat the micrometer scale, which can be manipulated to assess the effects ofskeletal architecture on stress-related hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) production.The bioprinted living coral microhabitats replicate the diffusion-relatedphenomena that underlie the functioning and breakdown of the coral-algalsymbiosis and can be exploited for the additive manufacturing of syntheticdesigner corals.