Molecular biologist Judith Hagenbuchner in conversation with Laurin Mauracher – How can we test 120 potential active substances quickly and realistically if we don’t want to carry out animal experiments? Judith Hagenbuchner and Michael Außerlechner asked themselves this question a few years ago: As a result, the duo founded Austria’s first 3D bioprinting laboratory at Innsbruck Children’s Hospital in 2018, opening up one of the most innovative areas of medicine. Instead of plastic models, they use the 3D printer to print gelatine and human cells. Sounds simple, but it takes a lot of patience and know-how to ensure that the resulting 3D chips can live and grow and form blood vessels, for example