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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Oct 28.
Published in final edited form as: Adv Funct Mater. 2020 Mar 4;30(44):1909089. doi: 10.1002/adfm.201909089

Table 1.

Methods for generating functional gradients in biomaterials.

Method Advantages Disadvantages
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  • High resolution

  • Rapid manufacturing

  • Inexpensive

  • Cytotoxicity

  • DNA damage
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  • Rapid prototyping

  • Freedom of design

  • Limited to “printable” material

  • Post-processing
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  • Single cell handling

  • Reduced reagent consumption

  • Inexpensive

  • Non-standard cell culture

  • Small volumes
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  • Scalable

  • Inexpensive

  • Versatile

  • Toxicity (solvents)

  • Extensive optimization required

  • Acellular