The field of 3D bioprinting has seen remarkable advancements with hydrogels playing a pivotal role due to their adaptable physicochemical, mechanical, and biological attributes. These materials are celebrated for their capability to replicate native extracellular matrices, essential for supporting living cells in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Despite the significant progress in this area, the precise characterization of bioinks remains a major determining factor for bioprinting success, influencing printability, reproducibility, fidelity, and long-term performance. To drive advancements, comprehensive understanding of gelation kinetics, structure-property relationships, and biological interactions is essential, yet, current methodologies have yet to achieve full optimization in material formulations and printing conditions.

This Research Topic aims to underline the importance of systematic characterization of hydrogels to guide their efficient use in 3D bioprinting processes aimed at regenerative applications. While rheology is acknowledged as a vital parameter for assessing extrudability and shape fidelity, a holistic approach to evaluation is essential to link hydrogel properties directly to functional outcomes. The focus is on fostering contributions that explore rheological, physicochemical, and mechanical characterization methods, as well as innovative in situ monitoring tools that enhance predictive control over the printing process.

To gather further insights within this interdisciplinary research topic, we invite contributions that explore the following themes:

• Physicochemical property evaluation such as composition, gelation, swelling, degradation, and porosity
• Rheological and mechanical behavior under extrusion conditions
• Metrics related to printability, fidelity, including resolution, precision, accuracy, and reproducibility
• Examination of crosslinking mechanisms and spatiotemporal control strategies
• Analysis of microstructure-property relationship through advanced imaging and characterization
• Exploration of data-driven and modeling approaches such as computational modeling and machine learning
• Investigation of the influence of hydrogel properties on cell behavior, from viability to tissue remodeling
• Considerations of biocompatibility, sterilization, degradation, and translational aspects for bioinks
• Applications in various domains of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, including specific models like bone, cartilage, vascular, neural, and skin.

This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how the characterization of hydrogels informs their effective use in 3D bioprinting, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration across biomaterials science, bioengineering, and biomedical research.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Characterization of Hydrogels for 3D Bioprinting: From Rheology to Biological Performance