Microbial biomanufacturing mineralized scaffolds with 3D bioprinting

Biomanufacturing is a key technology in bioengineering, driving the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. Although it can efficiently produce biomaterials, its broader application potential in modern medicine remains constrained by the lack of control in material shaping. Herein, we propose a “print-and-mineralize” strategy that integrates biofabrication and biomanufacturing to address this technical limitation. Projection-based 3D bioprinting is employed to construct precise polymer networks with bioinks encapsulating Sporosarcina pasteurii, followed by in situ microbial mineralization to endow scaffolds with bone-mimetic mechanical and biological properties. This method enables the fabrication of scaffolds with 54.06 wt% inorganic content and increases the compressive modulus from 84.80 kPa to 12.05 MPa within 5 days. The mineralized scaffolds significantly promote osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, in vivo experiments on critical-sized rat cranial defects further demonstrate improved bone regeneration. This versatile platform provides a proof-of-concept strategy for fabricating structurally complex and bioactive constructs, showing potential for advanced tissue engineering and sustainable material development.