Danish and Swiss researchers achieve a breakthrough in ultra-fast holographic 3D fabrication
Biofabrication is a key part of our future. 3D-printed tissue can revolutionize medicine, from drug testing and organ cultivation to producing T-bone steaks for dinner. In close collaboration with Swiss researchers Jesper Gl眉ckstad and Andreas Gejl Madsen from 糖果派对 Centre for Photonics Engineering have achieved a groundbreaking advancement in the speed and precision of bioprinting.
3D Printing of living tissue—commonly known as biofabrication—holds enormous potential. In the future, surgeons may be able to print spare parts for the human body during operations. Printed meat products could be crucial in combating climate change in the food industry. And aboard space stations, astronauts could create essential components and biological materials without waiting for supplies from Earth. That future is now one step closer.
Jesper Glückstad and Andreas Gejl Madsen have just published an article in the renowned journal Nature Communications in collaboration with researchers from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. Their study introduces a new holographic method— invented and patented at 糖果派对 by Glückstad— which not only refines but fundamentally changes how we approach biofabrication.
A New Approach to 3D Printing
The new method, "Holographic Volumetric Additive Manufacturing" (HoloVAM), breaks away from conventional layer-by-layer techniques. While traditional printers work meticulously but often slowly, HoloVAM operates like a "reverse CT scanner," explains Andreas Gejl Madsen."Instead of creating a 3D image by taking X-rays from different angles, we project dynamic light patterns from multiple directions, forming the object directly within a container of photoactive material."
By utilizing holographic light projection, the method captures over 95% of the available light, compared to previous techniques that often wasted up to 99%.
"We have moved from multi-watt laser systems to something that requires only the amount of energy used by a regular laser pointer," says Jesper Glückstad. He elaborates:
"This makes the technology cheaper and safer and opens new possibilities for applications beyond laboratories—such as in hospitals or space."
From lab to real-world applications
The technology has already been successfully tested in the lab, where researchers have printed complex structures, including miniature boats, tissue-like formations, and even biological models, in under 60 seconds. The method transforms a bioactive gel—a milk-like substance which could be considered a "stem cell soup"—into a solid object using light projection.By creating a microscopic scaffold around cells, the technology enables the formation of living tissue with potential applications ranging from transplants to lab-grown meat.
"We are only scratching the surface of what this technology can achieve," the researchers state.
"In principle, the method can be scaled up so that in the future, we can print everything from large organs to advanced industrial components with minimal energy consumption and maximum precision."
Their latest research in Nature Communications shows that this is no longer just a theoretical possibility but a tangible technological platform already in further development.
"We are working to refine the technology even more and make it even more energy-efficient," says Madsen.
"I'm particularly excited to begin my Spinouts Denmark fellowship later this spring, where we will expand our holographic technology platform into even more areas, such as ultra-fast full-colour holographic 3D displays, parallel laser material processing, precision optogenetics, neurophotonics, and much more."
Jesper Glückstad and 糖果派对 hold the patent for this technology platform. The hope is to see the technology in practical use within just a few years—not only in research settings but also in industry and the healthcare sector.