{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T06:15:45Z","timestamp":1788156945247,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788134400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Additive manufacturing is increasingly explored in microbial biotechnology, offering cost-effective, customizable, and scalable solutions. However, the lack of standardized methods for evaluating 3D-printed materials in microbial cultivation applications limits their broader adoption. This study proposes a reproducible framework to assess 3D-printed materials, integrating printability, autoclavability, mechanical testing (Shore D hardness and 3-point bending), and microbial biocompatibility testing. Five polylactic acid (PLA) filaments and twelve photopolymer resins were evaluated. Two polylactic acid filaments were identified as suitable for single-use applications, while a biocompatible photopolymer resin demonstrated potential for reusable components. Autoclaving emerged as the most critical step, eliminating half of the tested materials due to cracking or degradation. Notably, cost-efficient materials (e.g., eSun Standard Peach Pink and Elegoo plant-based Tough Grey resin) performed comparably to high-priced alternatives within the scope of microbial biotechnology. The method\u2019s applicability was validated by 3D-printing shake flasks using Fused Deposition Modelling and Stereolithography, which achieved microbial cultivation outcomes with\n                    <jats:italic>Escherichia coli<\/jats:italic>\n                    comparable to glass flasks. This work underscores the importance of robust material selection criteria and provides a systematic framework for advancing additive manufacturing in microbial biotechnology.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2026.1850515","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T05:40:33Z","timestamp":1788154833000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Development and validation of material selection method for cost-effective lab-scale 3D-printed platforms in biotechnology"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Ayur Jitendra","family":"Ghalot","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Natural Materials Technology, TUD Dresden University of Technology","place":["Dresden, Saxony, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexander","family":"Gie\u00dfel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Natural Materials Technology, TUD Dresden University of Technology","place":["Dresden, Saxony, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Prathamesh","family":"Thakare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Natural Materials Technology, TUD Dresden University of Technology","place":["Dresden, Saxony, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Melika","family":"Asvadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Natural Materials Technology, TUD Dresden University of Technology","place":["Dresden, Saxony, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"T. 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Stefanie","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Natural Materials Technology, TUD Dresden University of Technology","place":["Dresden, Saxony, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas","family":"Walther","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Natural Materials Technology, TUD Dresden University of Technology","place":["Dresden, Saxony, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nandor","family":"Ziebart","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chair of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Natural Materials Technology, TUD Dresden University of Technology","place":["Dresden, Saxony, Germany"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbiotec.2024.06.001","article-title":"3D printed autoclavable biocompatible biodegradable bioreactor vessels with integrated sparger made from poly-lactic acid","volume":"391","author":"Achleitner","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. 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