Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

3-D Bioprinting of acellular corneal grafts for ALK procedures

Award Number: F31EY038596
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/11/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/10/2028

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

3-D Bioprinting of acellular corneal grafts for ALK procedures - PROJECT SUMMARY Vision restoration after corneal damage may require a transplant, which currently relies on human donor corneas, of which there is a shortage worldwide. To address this limitation, I propose to develop a partial thickness acellular corneal graft. A functional graft must have similar optical and mechanical properties to the native cornea. I will evaluate combinations of patterns and bioink materials including methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and methacrylated silk fibroin derived materials (SilMA). In particular, I will investigate the effects of 1) hydrogel and crosslinker composition, 2) fibril alignment due to nozzle diameter, and 3) resulting scaffold optical, mechanical, structural, and biological properties. In Aim 1, I will evaluate the effect of the bioprinting process parameters including bioink viscosity and nozzle diameter on the structural, mechanical, rheological, and optical scaffold properties. Sample microstructure will be evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Blends of GelMA with SilMA with photo-crosslinker will be evaluated with different ratios of bioink ingredients and varied photo-crosslinking times. In addition to rheological characterization of the bioinks, bioprinted corneal scaffolds will be evaluated by rheology as well as compression and tensile testing. Suture retention testing will be used to compare the printed scaffolds with molded materials and the natural cornea. Optical properties including optical transparency and refractive index will be evaluated using a spectrophotometer and a refractometer, respectively. In Aim 2, in vitro cytotoxicity will be evaluated with human corneal epithelial cells. Epithelial cell migration and fibrosis will also be evaluated in vitro. Since this scaffold is designed to replace only the anterior part of the corneal structure with an intact endothelium, I will test the epithelialization ability of the printed scaffolds using human corneal epithelial cells. Fibroblasts will be cultured on the bioprinted scaffolds to quantify markers of fibrosis. Successful completion of this project can serve as a basis to create partial thickness corneal grafts. This project will also provide the basis for further evaluations of different materials requiring specific optical and/or mechanical properties.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $45,192 )
2026	2026	OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, THE	1960 KENNY RD	COLUMBUS	OH	43210	FRANKLIN	USA	Vision Research	000	1	4/3/2026	NEW	$45,192
2026	2026	OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, THE	1960 KENNY RD	COLUMBUS	OH	43210	FRANKLIN	USA	Vision Research	001	1	4/3/2026	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $45,192

Grand Total All Awards = $45,192

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

3-D Bioprinting of acellular corneal grafts for ALK procedures

Award Number: F31EY038596

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/11/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/10/2028

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer