Research and Projects

Work Package 1 (WP1) at the AM4Life Competence Centre focuses on management and leadership. This work package is designed to ensure effective governance and strategic direction for the centre. Key aspects include:

• Leadership and Coordination: Overseeing the overall management of the centre, ensuring that all activities align with the strategic goals and objectives.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitating collaboration between academic, industrial, and public sector partners to foster innovation and knowledge exchange.
• Resource Management: Efficiently managing resources, including funding and personnel, to support the centre's research and development activities.
• Performance Monitoring: Implementing systems to monitor and evaluate the progress and impact of the centre's projects and initiatives.

The management group includes the director and co-director and the other WP leaders, supported by a collaboration manager and project coordinator.

AM4Life will offer training to all partners and students within the centre, which includes regular courses within 3D printing for the life sciences, a seminar series and one summer school per year planned in collaboration with WISE Additive. All students and post-docs will be part of the AM4Life Young Faculty Club where they will be offered networking activities such as lab and industrial facilities visits, customized workshops on demand, and general meetings.

One of the main aims of this WP is to develop 3D-printed alloys and implant designs that can degrade in the body while being replaced by the patient’s own tissue, thereby eliminating the need for a second surgery if the implant needs to be removed and reducing the risk for infection. With the increasing bacterial resistance worldwide, this has become a pressing matter.

Materials developed in this WP will be studied biologically in WP5. Synergies with projects in WP4 will be found through development of machine learning models for AM, as well as possibilities in combining maxillofacial implant designs from WP3 with dental implant designs in WP4.

Ongoing projects

• 3D-printed Ti64-stainless steel bimetallic joints ​
  
• Electron beam melting of biomedical alloys​
  
• Novel degradable Mg alloys and implant designs​
  
• AI in additive manufacturing
  

The work in this WP focuses on bioactive systems and devices, including advanced dental device and sensors for biomedical monitoring. A key focus across all projects in this WP is the need for biocompatible materials. Collaborative efforts will be dedicated to identifying, developing, and optimizing these materials to ensure that they meet the required safety and performance standards for their intended applications.

Point-of-care testing is an emerging trend, and future monitoring devices should be portable, preferably implantable or thin and flexible patches. Additive manufacturing can offer new design freedom and material advantages. The BARD project studies AM techniques to create detailed biochemical sensors and examines the properties of the printed structures and materials, such as chemical composition, microstructure, specific surface area, and electrical conduction. Additionally, within this WP, an advanced dental device will be developed that combines bone regeneration technology with protective shielding for dental surgeries, especially in implantology and bone grafting. The projects are cross-disciplinary, involving materials science mechanical engineering, and biochemistry. Besides interactions with WP3, the systems and devices developed will be studied in WP5.

Ongoing projects

• BARD: Biological monitoring devices by AM R&D
• Advanced dental device through AM
• Conductive and piezoelectric polymeric inks for high resolution 3D printing of devices
  

This work package focuses on both bioprinting and biological interactions. Newly developed printable biomaterials, including the dynamic hydrogels and hybrid bioinks created in WP5, will undergo functional testing to assess their biological interactions. Additionally, the hydrogels will be functionalized, with research emphasizing tissue rejuvenation. Both hydrogels and bioinks will be evaluated for their printability, with successful candidates advancing to preclinical testing. This stage will include longitudinal in vivo imaging models to investigate the mechanism of action of the tested materials.

Furthermore, we will develop model systems of tissues and organs to evaluate new materials and implants. A particular focus will be on improving 3D tumor models, as existing ones often lack reproducibility. 3D bioprinting can help create highly reproducible tumor constructs using clinically relevant cancer cell lines embedded in physiological matrices. This approach aligns with the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) in animal research.

Planned projects

• Self-healing bioinks for connective tissue growth
• Functionalised hydrogels for tissue rejuvenation
• Hybrid Bioinks
• Reproducible tumour models

WP6 aims to promote the outcomes of 3D printing projects within the competence center and ensure effective communication with key stakeholders, including researchers, industry partners, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. It involves disseminating results through scientific publications, conferences, and public outreach, while also identifying opportunities for commercial exploitation.

WP6 also provides regulatory support to center partners and organizes training events to foster knowledge sharing. In addition, it includes research activities focused on the implementation of 3D printing in healthcare. As part of this effort, a new PhD student project will be launched, exploring business models, reimbursement systems and clinical integration around point-of-care 3D printing.

Activities within WP6 are closely aligned with the PULSE initiative (Printing in Uppsala Life Science Ecosystem), which aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem surrounding additive manufacturing (AM) for medical applications in Uppsala. PULSE brings together stakeholders from the regional innovation support system and develops processes for the efficient utilization of research outcomes from AM4Life 2.0. The initiative also places strong emphasis on external communication and branding, positioning Uppsala as a leading region for AM in Life Science.

WP6 also collaborates with the national initiative focused on implementing 3D printing technologies.

WP6 welcomes master students who write their thesis and has continuously open positions for thesis work starting in January. Some of the thesis work is organized in collaboration with our partners. Contact us for more information.

Some ongoing research projects

• 3D printing adoption among industrial companies (PhD student project)
• Establishment of a world-leading competence center on 3D printing (PhD student project)
• Business models, reimbursement systems and clinical integration around point-of-care 3D printing (PhD student project)
• Implementation of point-of-care 3D printing at the hospital
• Value perceptions on 3D printed implants

Some examples of published research from WP6

Sag, O.M., Li, X., Åman, B., Thor, A., Brantnell, A. (2024). Qualitative exploration of 3D printing in Swedish healthcare: perceived effects and barriers. BMC Health Services Research, 24. doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11975-0

Zheng X, Wang R, Thor A, Brantnell A. (2024). Oral and maxillofacial surgeons’ views on the adoption of additive manufacturing: findings from a nationwide survey. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 28. doi.org/10.1007/s10006-024-01219-0

Zheng X, Wang R, Brantnell A, Thor A. (2024). Adoption of additive manufacturing in oral and maxillofacial surgery among university and non-university hospitals in Sweden: findings from a nationwide survey. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 28. doi.org/10.1007/s10006-023-01147-5

Some examples of theses from WP6

• Adoption of Additive Manufacturing in Dental Technology Companies in Sweden: Comparitive Case Study, https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1680689/FULLTEXT01.pdf
• Adoption of Additive Manufacturing in Hospitals – Multiple Case Study, https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1676285/FULLTEXT01.pdf
• Advancements of 3D Bioprinting: A market development study, https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1768518/FULLTEXT01.pdf
• Implications of Logic Multiplicity During Early Phases of Competence Center Formation: A Case Study of 3D Printing in Life Sciences, https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1439607/FULLTEXT01.pdf
• Implementing Additive Manufacturing in Cardiology: A qualitative study of barriers and facilitators from a managemental point of view, https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1441231/FULLTEXT01.pdf