SHIFT printing turns hydrogel droplets into aligned microfibers for anisotropic 3D bioprinting

Researchers report SHIFT, a new extrusion-based method that converts discrete hydrogel particles into aligned subvoxel microfibers during printing, producing highly anisotropic fibers (5–30 μm) in situ. Demonstrated with a dual-phase gelatin–poloxamer ink, SHIFT enables integration into 3D bioprinting and microfibre spinning, supporting long myotube formation in vitro and accelerated skeletal muscle regeneration in volumetric muscle loss models.