3D-printable and cytocompatible hydrogel from Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 extracellular matrix

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.