US 12,167,720 B2
Structure and method for promoting microalgae growth
Shaochen Chen, San Diego, CA (US); Dimitri Deheyn, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA (US); Shangting You, La Jolla, CA (US); Daniel Wangpraseurt, Cambridge (GB); and Silvia Vignolini, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to The Regents of the University of California, Oakland, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/639,223
Filed by THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, La Jolla, CA (US); and UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, Cambridge (GB)
PCT Filed Aug. 28, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/048605
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 28, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/041962, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/893,162, filed on Aug. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0322644 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. A01K 61/70 (2017.01); B29C 64/129 (2017.01); B29C 64/245 (2017.01); B29C 64/286 (2017.01); B29K 1/00 (2006.01); B29K 105/00 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC A01K 61/70 (2017.01) [B29C 64/129 (2017.08); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B29C 64/286 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B29K 2001/08 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0032 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0073 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0056 (2013.01); B29L 2031/702 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for promoting microalgae growth, the method comprising:
providing an artificial coral structure by:
disposing a printing surface on a movable stage of a 3D bioprinter, the 3D bioprinter comprising a digital micromirror device configured for modulating light from a light source into patterns defined by a plurality of digital masks, projection optics configured for projecting the modulated light onto a focal plane at the printing surface;
contacting the printing surface with at least one bio-ink, wherein the at least one bio-ink comprises a mixture of a pre-polymer material with one or more of cellulose-derived nanocrystals (CNC), and microalgae cells;
projecting modulated light onto the printing surface while moving the stage to fabricate a 3D scaffold by progressively polymerizing:
a first bio-ink comprising a mixture of pre-polymer material and CNC to define layers of skeletal structures having a plurality of pores and cavities and tissue structures having radially-extending projections, wherein the skeletal structures and tissue structures are configured to scatter light within the structures, and
a second bio-ink comprising a mixture of pre-polymer material and microalgae cells onto the skeletal structures and tissue structures;
disposing the artificial coral structure within a cultivation medium; and
exposing the artificial coral structure to photosynthesis-inducing radiation.