May 04, 2023 
Isabella Bondesson is a Field Application Scientist at CELLINK, the global leading bioprinting company. Isabella has a BioTech Engineering degree from Chalmers Institute of Technology, and she joined CELLINK in 2018 as part of the R&D team to develop novel methods in tissue model printing. During her time at CELLINK Isabella has acquired expertise in multiple areas of bioprinting and is today leading the EMEA Application team working with consulting, educating, and supporting customer needs within various aspects of 3D Bioprinting. As the leading 3D bioprinting company, CELLINK is committed to providing the most advanced 3D bioprinting products, services, and technologies needed to understand and master biology. CELLINK develops technologies that democratize 3D bioprinting – providing the leading researchers in the world with the tools they need to create the future of health. She spoke at the recent 3D Bioprinting for Drug Discovery and Development event. (To watch the On-Demand recording for FREE until 5/17/23, here is the link and Passcode: 0Ep.xh56)
When was the first encounter you had with 3D printing? What was that experience like?
Isabella: The first encounter I had with bioprinting was during my university studies. As I was studying to become a tissue engineer, the possibility of using 3D bioprinting as a tool to re-create biological tissues came naturally in my education as an obvious, essential tool to advanced tissue modeling.
What inspired you to start your journey 3D bioprinting?
Isabella: The potential of the technology. There is a lot of unknown processes within biology to understand, and working in a multi-dimensional environment is critical to find out more and deepen our understanding of this topic. I was also excited that bioprinting was a new field that had just started to grow and develop, opening many new possibilities in science.
Who inspired you the most along this journey in 3D bioprinting/bio-fabrication?
Isabella: It’s hard to pick only one person who inspired me. I believe it is a combination of the community within bioprinting and the pioneers in the area who kept me motivated. I’ve also had access to good mentors throughout my journey of 3D bioprinting.
What motivates you the most for your work?
Isabella: The scientific rewards and interesting discussions with researchers around the world! The outcomes of the research conducted over the last years with bioprinting are overwhelming and talking with collaborators in the field keeps me excited in seeing what is next to come.
What is/are the biggest obstacle(s) in your line of work? If you have conquered them, what were your solutions?
Isabella: Applying technological solutions to a wide variety of applications and finding the right solution for each research question/problem. It is, however, a fun challenge and the part of the job that makes every day interesting.
What do you think is (are) the biggest challenge(s) in 3D Printing/bio-printing? What do you think the potential solution(s) is (are)?
Isabella: There are many exciting challenges yet to solve with 3D bioprinting. The technology itself can always improve and advance, however, the major obstacle I see, is to find the balance of biomaterial, cells, and factors making the organ re-creation possible. This is a key challenge that bioprinting has enabled us to explore.
What advice would you give to a smart driven college student in the “real world”? What bad advice you heard should they ignore?
Isabella: Have fun, trust your gut, and be persistent – if you are working with something that motivates you it will be rewarding. There is much advice to ignore but it’s more important to constantly be learning, so take into consideration the advice you are given and evaluate them on your own before applying them.
Related Articles:
3D Bioprinting for Regenerative Medicine (Part 1)- Guide
3D Printing In Hospitals: A Beginner’s Guide 1/5
Comments