---
title: "University of Colorado researchers use 3D bioprinting to build reusable, light-emitting living materials"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/university-of-colorado-researchers-use-3d-bioprinting-to-build-reusable-light-emitting-living-materials/
date: 2026-05-07
modified: 2026-05-07
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a method for producing light-emitting living materials. By embedding bioluminescent marine microorganisms in 3D printed alginate hydrogel scaffolds and activating them..."
categories:
  - "AM Research"
  - "Bioprinting"
  - "Research & Education"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/3D-bioprinting-Colorado-02-640x400.jpg
word_count: 458
---

# University of Colorado researchers use 3D bioprinting to build reusable, light-emitting living materials

[Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder](https://www.voxelmatters.com/university-of-colorado-boulder-3d-prints-with-coffee-grounds/) have developed a method for producing light-emitting living materials. By embedding bioluminescent marine microorganisms in [3D printed alginate hydrogel scaffolds](https://www.voxelmatters.com/borate-bioactive-glass-enhances-sodium-alginate-in-3d-bioprinting/) and activating them through chemical rather than mechanical means, the team was able to instigate a shift that substantially extends the functional lifespan of such devices.

The research centered on ‘Pyrocystis lunula’, a marine dinoflagellate (single-celled microorganism) that naturally emits light in response to physical disturbance. Previous work in this area had relied on mechanical stimulation, but that leads to cellular structure degradation over time and also limits devices to single use. The Colorado team instead applied controlled acidic (pH 4) and basic (pH 10) environments to trigger bioluminescent emission directly through pH-dependent intracellular chemistry.

Acid exposure produced localized, sustained emission while base exposure elicited a diffuse, biphasic response associated with cellular stress. Combining chemical priming with mechanical compression produced a more than twofold increase in total luminescent output compared to controls.

“This project was a moonshot idea,” stated Wil Srubar, professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering and who led the study with Giulia Brachi, the first author and research associate in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. “I was curious if we could create a world in which we don’t use electricity but rather use biology to produce light. This discovery really paves the way for engineering other living light materials and devices.”

[![University of Colorado researchers use 3D bioprinting to build reusable, light-emitting living materials](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/3D-bioprinting-Colorado-01-640x400.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/3D-bioprinting-Colorado-01.jpg)

## Bioprinting and long-term performance

The team formulated a 4 wt % alginate bioink partially pre-crosslinked with calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and extruded it using a BIO X extrusion-based bioprinter (Cellink) fitted with a 22G conical nozzle. 

[Scanning electron microscopy](https://www.voxelmatters.com/cityuhk-develops-3d-printed-smart-materials-modeled-on-sea-urchin-spine-structure/) confirmed that printed constructs retained an interconnected porous architecture that supported nutrient exchange and cellular retention. Fluorescence imaging verified uniform cell distribution throughout the hydrogel immediately after printing.

In longitudinal testing over four weeks, acid-stimulated constructs maintained bioluminescent output across all four weekly stimulation cycles. Base-treated constructs showed a 97% overall signal decrease by week four, with complete functional loss by week three. A Kaplan-Meier–style analysis reported 75% luminescent activity in acid-treated constructs through week four, versus 0% in the base-treated group by week three.

“It was a very exciting moment when we found the right chemical stimulant that allowed the light to stay on for a long time,” said Brachi. “This is the first time we have figured out how to sustain luminescence.”

The researchers believe the work establishes a reusable platform for applications in biosensing, soft robotics, and environmental monitoring, and future work will focus on expanding the range of chemical stimuli and integrating multiple input types.

[The study was published in *Science Advances*](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aee3907) and was co-authored by Jessica McKean, Cheng Pau Lee, and Joy Edwin-Ezeh.