UC scientists use bacteria as raw material suppliers for 4D printing

^{Translation by Diana Taborda}

A multidisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Coimbra (UC) has developed materials to make 4D printing sustainable and ecological, using cellulose produced by bacteria. The project paves the way for several applications, from medicine to transport and the textile industry.

4D printing derives from 3D printing by adding the dimension of time, making it possible to print intelligent three-dimensional objects, i.e. objects that change their shape over time and in response to external stimuli such as temperature, light or pH, among others.

The project is led by Ana Paula Piedade, researcher and professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC). It is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and European funds (COMPETE 2020), and has the collaboration of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (IPL).