3D-Printable and Cytocompatible Hydrogel from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 Extracellular Matrix

Radmehr, S.; Ingoni, P. C.; Eftekhari, A.; Ylä-Outinen, L.; Parihar, V. S.; Khavani, M.; Perho, N.; Morikka, J.; Greco, D.; Laaksonen, T.; Kellomäki, M.; Skottman, H.; Santala, S.; Santala, V.

doi:10.64898/2026.09.11.750904

bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.09.11.750904

3D-Printable and Cytocompatible Hydrogel from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 Extracellular Matrix

Radmehr, S.·Ingoni, P. C.·Eftekhari, A.·Ylä-Outinen, L.·Parihar, V. S.·Khavani, M.·Perho, N.·Morikka, J.·Greco, D.·Laaksonen, T.·Kellomäki, M.·Skottman, H.·Santala, S.·Santala, V.

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Abstract

Tissue engineering has advanced significantly, yet multicomponent hydrogels inspired by the compositional complexity of natural extracellular matrices (ECMs) are still underexplored. Most current hydrogels are based on single-component formulations, which can limit their biochemical and mechanical versatility. Developing synthetic multicomponent hydrogels remains challenging because it requires the controlled integration of multiple functional groups within a single material platform. Here, a biologically driven strategy is introduced by leveraging Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, a bacterium that naturally produces extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) composed of a multicomponent matrix of polysaccharides and proteins. Through three-day cultivation and a simple extraction method, a hydrogel is obtained that can be methacrylated and photocrosslinked using red or blue light. This hydrogel is porous, cytocompatible, 3D-bioprintable, injectable, and undergoes rapid gelation for in situ crosslinking. This work highlights the potential of using bacterial-derived multicomponent hydrogels for biofabrication.

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Radmehr, S., Ingoni, P. C., Eftekhari, A., Ylä-Outinen, L., Parihar, V. S., Khavani, M., Perho, N., Morikka, J., Greco, D., Laaksonen, T., Kellomäki, M., Skottman, H., Santala, S., Santala, V.. 2026-09-14. 3D-Printable and Cytocompatible Hydrogel from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 Extracellular Matrix. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.11.750904

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