Photocurable, biocompatible silicone resins for 3D printing and prototyping
Mimetic develops proprietary photocurable silicone resins for 3D printing and microfabrication. These transparent, biocompatible formulations print at high resolution (<500 µm) using off-the-shelf UV 3D printers, with tunable mechanical properties from 20 kPa to 1 MPa modulus and over 400% elongation. Designed to replace injection casting for silicone prototyping, the resins are 100% active with no inert oils and demonstrate non-cytotoxicity, making them well-suited for tissue engineering, microfluidics, and biomedical device prototyping. Custom formulations can be tuned to project requirements.
Overview
Mimetic offers a family of proprietary photocurable silicone resins engineered for 3D printing and microfabrication. These formulations enable direct, hands-off fabrication of transparent, biocompatible silicone parts, replacing traditional injection casting and manual prototyping methods. The resins work with off-the-shelf UV 3D printers, allowing research teams to produce high-resolution features (under 500 µm in both positive and negative geometries) without specialized equipment.
Target applications include tissue engineering scaffolds, microfluidic devices, biomedical device prototypes, and custom lab tools. Because the material system is 100% active—containing no inert oils—printed parts resist oil migration to the surface, a common failure mode in softer silicone systems. Mimetic also offers custom formulation development, tuning mechanical and biological properties to meet specific project requirements.
Technical specifications
Mimetic's silicone resin platform provides:
- Photocuring (UV) modality compatible with standard 3D printers
- Transparent, biocompatible parts with demonstrated non-cytotoxicity
- Tunable mechanical properties: 20 kPa to 1 MPa elastic modulus
- High elongation: greater than 400% strain
- High-resolution printing: features below 500 µm (positive and negative)
- 100% active formulation with no inert oils or fillers
- Post-processing workflows validated for biological applications, with ongoing work to further reduce leachable components
Current formulations are available in the 20–100 kPa modulus range in lab-scale quantities (10–100 mL). A new reactive oligomer is under development (expected by end of 2026) to further tune mechanical properties while reducing leachables and improving long-term stability.
Technology readiness level
The technology is at TRL 4–6, with multiple pilots in microfabrication and biomedical devices. Existing samples demonstrate no oil migration to the surface, and post-processing techniques have shown non-cytotoxicity in biological evaluation. The tissue-engineering formulation is patent-pending and under continued development.
Mimetic can supply custom resin formulations or test specimens, fabricate and post-process parts using in-house 3D printing hardware, or support customers who prefer to prototype in-house. A robust go/no-go decision can typically be reached within 6 months through a sponsored research or pilot engagement.
About Mimetic
Mimetic is a Pittsburgh-based company building biocompatible 3D printing solutions for life-science and biomedical research. Its stated mission is to accelerate research by letting scientists focus more on the science and less on manufacturing, by streamlining the creation of custom devices, tools, and experimental platforms. The company’s website emphasizes enabling faster prototyping—positioning microfluidic prototyping “in hours, not days”—to reduce friction in device fabrication and iteration.
The approach matters to researchers because it addresses time-consuming tool and device fabrication that can delay experiments. Mimetic’s public positioning highlights how its biocompatible 3D printing solutions are intended to help teams prototype quickly, test more efficiently, and move ideas into working devices with less overhead, supported by an active public presence and a waitlist for prospective users.
delivered to your inbox.