Projects, Collaborations, Publications, and more:

Active Research Projects

BioregA-Print
PhD project · 2020–2026 · Funder: German Space Agency at DLR
Aim: Bioprinting photosynthetically active microalgae for bioregenerative life-support systems in space. The project combines the potential of microalgae to produce life-supporting substances - especially oxygen - with the capabilities of extrusion-based 3D bioprinting. Key focuses include the development of space-suitable bioinks, including the use of locally available resources such as regolith simulants, as well as parabolic flight experiments to study the printing process and photosynthetic activity under microgravity.

3DSkinSpace
PhD + PostDoc · 2023–2026 · Funder: German Space Agency at DLR
Aim: Development of a bioprinted skin modell for the bioprinting of skin tissue in space. The project develops bioinks and printing protocols to fabricate skin models of varying complexity - from simple dermal layers to vascularized dermis–epidermis constructs. Central research questions include the shelf life of cell-laden bioinks for transport to the ISS and the development of space-compatible fixation protocols. The work directly prepares bioprinting experiments using the ESA 3D Biosystem.

Innospace Clinostat
PostDoc + TA · Starting in 2026 · Funder: Innospace network of the German Space Agency at DLR
Aim: Development of a 2D clinostat specifically for cultivating bioprinted tissue models under simulated microgravity. Together with Yuri GmbH, a fluidics system is being developed that enables exchange of cell culture medium and fixation of the samples during rotation - without interrupting the simulated weightlessness. The system is systematically tested using various bioprinted cell and tissue models.

Collaborations & Consortia

Handheld Bioprinter – Bioprint FirstAid
Collaboration with OHB, German Space Agency at DLR & ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer
Development of a portable bioprinting system for emergency wound care during crewed exploration missions. The prototype was successfully tested on the International Space Station (ISS).

MEXEM Space Experiment
ESA Exobiology Facility · ISS
Participation in the project consortium of the space experiment MEXEM (Mars EXposed Extremophiles Mixture). Our research group provides regolith-based bioinks to produce defined and reproducible sample geometries.

Committees & Advisory Boards

ESA Topical Team “3D Bioprinting in Space”
Lead: Prof. Michael Gelinsky
International ESA expert group titled “3D Bioprinting of living tissue for utilization in space exploration and extraterrestrial human settlements”. The team brings together around 20 leading research groups from across Europe - including ETH Zurich, TU Wien, Politecnico di Milano, the University of Manchester, and the University of Pisa - and develops scientific strategies and technological roadmaps for the use of 3D bioprinting in human spaceflight. The outcomes of the Topical Team are, among other outputs, published in a review in Advanced Healthcare Materials (2023).

ESA FST – Facility Science Team (3D Biosystem)
Scientific advisory board for the ESA 3D Biosystem. The FST advises ESA on defining the scientific program of the facility, ranging from basic research on microgravity effects on cells and tissues to the preparation of medical applications for long-duration missions.

ESA FDT – Facility Definition Team
Committee established within ESA’s SciSpacE (Science in Space Environment) programme to define scientific requirements and research infrastructures for future exploration scenarios, particularly at the Lunar Gateway and on the lunar surface. The FDTs consist of external scientists and ESA specialists from various disciplines and develop feasibility studies and recommendations for the post-ISS era.

YURI advisory board (3D BioForge bioprinter)
We are part of the scientific advisory board supporting the development of the ScienceTaxi BioForge, Yuri’s fully autonomous bioprinting platform for use in space. Hardware development is carried out in collaboration with the Bioprinter company GeSiM and is funded by the Luxembourg Space Agency within ESA’s LuxIMPULSE programme. The goal is the first European commercial 3D bioprinter for low Earth orbit.

Completed Projects

3D Printing of Living Tissue for Space Exploration
Funding: ESA Discovery & Preparation · Lead: OHB System AG
ESA-funded project to evaluate and further develop 3D bioprinting technologies for future exploration missions. Includes a workshop held at ESA’s technology centre ESTEC in Noordwijk (Netherlands).

ESA Groundbased Facility for 3D Bioprinting

Since 2022, our group at TU Dresden is operating an ESA Ground Based Facility for 3D bioprinting. This ground-based research infrastructure enables external research groups, with funding from ESA, to systematically prepare, optimize, and validate their own bioprinting experiments before they are carried out under space conditions. In this way, it creates a central interface between laboratory development and spaceflight research.

Milestones

2024 – Parabolic flight campaign 3DSkinSpace (Brinter, ETH Zurich)
2024 – Public evening event “3D Bioprinting in Space: Science Fiction or Reality?” – Cosmo Science Forum, Kulturpalast Dresden
2023 – Parabolic flight campaign BioregA-Print (Gesim)
2022 – ESA/DLR workshop “3D Bioprinting in Space” in Dresden
2022 – Evening event at the German Hygiene Museum with Thomas Reiter (former astronaut, ISS commander, BMFTR spaceflight department head)
2022 – Establishment of the ESA Groundbased Facility in Dresden

Selected Publications

2026

Windisch, J., Richter, R.F., Beblo-Vranesevic, K., Grewe, K., et al. – Regolith-supported biofabrication: 3D bioprinting of living, photosynthetically active structures using Lunar and Martian regolith simulants. Biofabrication 18, 015005 Link

2025

Winkelbauer, M., Janiak, J., Windisch, J., Liu, H., et al. – Prolonged Cell Encapsulation and Gravity-independent Filamented Light Biofabrication of Muscle Constructs. Advanced Science 12, e12727 Link

Stenuit, H., Ferreira, M.J.S., Domingos, M., Moroni, L., et al. – Rethinking biomaterials for space tissue engineering. Cell Biomaterials 1, 100253 Link

2024

Warth, N., Berg, M., Schumacher, L., Boehme, M., et al. – Bioprint FirstAid: A handheld bioprinter for first aid utilization on space exploration missions. Acta Astronautica 215, 194–204 Link

Willis, C.R.G., Calvaruso, M., Angeloni, D., Baatout, S., et al. – How to obtain an integrated picture of the molecular networks involved in adaptation to microgravity in different biological systems? npj Microgravity 10, 50 Link

Davis, T., Tabury, K., Zhu, S., Angeloni, D., et al. – How are cell and tissue structure and function influenced by gravity and what are the gravity perception mechanisms? npj Microgravity 10, 16 Link

2023

Windisch, J., Reinhardt, O., Duin, S., Schütz, K., et al. – Bioinks for Space Missions: the Influence of Long-term Storage of Alginate-Methylcellulose Based Bioinks on Printability as well as Cell Viability and Function. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2300436 Link

Van Ombergen, A., Chalupa-Gantner, F., Chansoria, P., Colosimo, B.M., et al. – 3D Bioprinting in Microgravity: Opportunities, Challenges, and Possible Applications in Space. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2300443 Link

Cialdai, F., Brown, A.M., Baumann, C.W., Angeloni, D., et al. – How do gravity alterations affect animal and human systems at a cellular/tissue level? npj Microgravity 9, 84 Link

2021

Cubo-Mateo, N., Gelinsky, M. – Wound and Skin Healing in Space: The 3D Bioprinting Perspective. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 9 Link

2020

Gelinsky, M. – Latest advances of bioprinting in space: an interview with Michael Gelinsky. Journal of 3D Printing in Medicine 4, 1–4 Link

Cubo-Mateo, N., Podhajsky, S., Knickmann, D., Slenzka, K., et al. – Can 3D bioprinting be a key for exploratory missions and human settlements on the Moon and Mars. Biofabrication 12, 043001 Link

Conferences & Workshops

Hosted Events

2024 – “3D Bioprinting in Space: Science Fiction or Reality?” – Cosmo Science Forum, Kulturpalast Dresden
2022 – ESA/DLR workshop “3D Bioprinting in Space” – Dresden
2022 – Evening event with Thomas Reiter – German Hygiene Museum Dresden

International conference contributions Michael Gelinsky:

International conference contributions Johannes Windisch:

2024 – Biofabrication Conference, Fukuoka (Plenary)
2023 – Health from Space Conference
2022 – Health from Space Conference
2022 – TERMIS, Manchester, UK
2021 – Biofabrication Conference, Pisa

Partners

ESA · DLR · OHB · YURI · Gesim · Brinter

Contact

Prof. Dr. Michael Gelinsky
Head of the Center for Translational Bone, Joint and Soft Tissue Research
michael.gelinsky@tu-dresden.de

Dipl.-Ing. Johannes Windisch
PhD / Research Associate
johannes.windisch@tu-dresden.de

TU Dresden
Center for Translational Bone, Joint and Soft Tissue Research
Fetscherstraße 74
01307 Dresden