The demand for new functional materials in medicine and pharmacy is growing steadily. Active ingredients that are poorly soluble, unstable, or problematic from a sensory perspective require biocompatible, scalable, and patient-adaptable systems that enable controlled release, taste masking, and reproducible processing. Conventional materials are increasingly reaching their limits in this regard. There is a need for adaptive materials that respond to external stimuli, thereby opening up new possibilities for modern drug formulations.

The innovation lies primarily in the combination of several approaches: biotechnologically produced, biohybrid ELP materials are chemically functionalized and then processed using contactless light-sheet laser writing.  The goal is to create a modular material system that combines a bio-based and more sustainable approach to materials, biological compatibility, customizable functions, and the potential for further processing using process engineering. The time-dependent changes in the printed structures define the 4D nature of this approach.

Looking ahead, this technology could open up new avenues for the formulation of sophisticated active ingredients. Furthermore, the concepts developed are expected to be transferable to regenerative medicine and functional biomaterials research. The systematic collection of material, process, and test data simultaneously supports data-driven materials research and can facilitate the development of usable materials data repositories.