GHENT, (Unib Rashid) – A bio-ink developed by Ghent-based biomaterials company Bio Inx has been successfully used for the first time to 3D-print medical devices aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marking a significant step forward in the development of advanced biomedical manufacturing in space.

The 3D printer, developed by US-based Auxilium Biotechnologies, produced nerve repair implants using Bio Inx’s specialised bio-ink, or resin. According to Bio Inx CEO Jasper Van Hoorick, the structures are designed to be implanted in the human body to support and promote nerve growth.

“We are extremely proud that our resin was successfully printed in space for the first time,” Van Hoorick said, describing the achievement as an important milestone for the company.

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The experiment is particularly significant because of the microgravity environment aboard the ISS. On Earth, soft tissues and biological structures can collapse under their own weight during the printing process. In microgravity, however, this problem is significantly reduced, allowing delicate structures to retain their form during production.

The absence of normal gravity may also enable living cells to be distributed more evenly throughout 3D-printed structures, potentially improving the production of complex biological tissues.

Bio Inx said the successful space test demonstrates the potential of standardised biomaterials to support advanced manufacturing under highly demanding conditions.

Another feature of the company’s bio-ink is that printed structures can be temporarily deformed and reduced in size, making them easier to implant with minimal disruption. Once placed inside the human body and exposed to body temperature, the structures can return to their original shape.

During the same mission, the space-based 3D printer was also used to produce kidney and liver tissues. Auxilium Biotechnologies aims to demonstrate that its technology can manufacture a range of biological structures for different medical applications during a single space mission.

The experiments represent an early step towards the concept of personalised medicine in space, where limited storage capacity and resources could make on-demand production of medical implants and biological tissues particularly valuable.

Bio Inx is a spin-off of Ghent University (UGent) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). The biomaterials company is headquartered in Zwijnaarde, near Ghent, and specialises in materials and technologies for advanced 3D bioprinting and biomedical applications.