Synchrotron X-ray Microfluidics & Sample Holders peer reviewed research
3Dresyn MF RTP1 and 3Dresyn UHF used to 3D-print X-ray–compatible microfluidic chips and custom protein-crystal sample holders, in peer-reviewed synchrotron research at the ESRF.
What the studies report, attributed to their authors, at the device and experimental-setup level, not as neat-resin specifications.
Applications: serial synchrotron crystallography in flow and time-resolved in-crystallo UV–Vis spectroscopy.
3Dresyn MF RTP1 and 3Dresyn UHF are photopolymers used, in independent peer-reviewed research, to 3D-print sample environments for macromolecular crystallography at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF, Grenoble).
MF RTP1 was used to print the body of an X-ray-compatible microfluidic chip (3D-MiXD) for serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) in flow. UHF was used to print a custom protein-crystal sample holder for the TR-icOS time-resolved spectroscopy setup. Both parts were printed on Asiga DLP printers.
Results below are attributed to their authors and are not first-party performance claims by 3Dresyns. They describe the printed devices and the experimental setups (channel size, surface roughness, data-collection time, sample volume, spectroscopic time resolution), not neat-resin datasheet specifications. The manufacturer reference values for the neat UHF resin are listed separately, from its datasheet.
The peer-reviewed studies
An X-ray-compatible microfluidic chip printed in MF RTP1
A 2020 study in IUCrJ (Monteiro et al.) introduced 3D-MiXD, an affordable, X-ray-compatible microfluidic device for serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) in flow. The chip body was 3D-printed on an Asiga PICO 2HD DLP printer (385 nm; 37 × 37 µm voxels; 25 µm layers) in 3Dresyn MF RTP1, then sealed with thin Kapton windows. A 3D flow-focusing geometry centres the protein microcrystals in the stream so they can be probed by the X-ray beam with a well-defined, low dose.
Primary-source attribution: the Methods (device fabrication) state that the chip body was 3D-printed in MF RTP1, a resin designed by Resyner Technologies under the 3Dresyns brand, a primary-source material attribution, not a hub claim.
- Microchannel-wall roughness of about 3 µm (≈1.1% of the channel width).
- Complete, highly redundant SSX data sets collected in about 60–90 min using only 50–70 µl of microcrystal slurry.
- Stable operation for more than 8 h of continuous data collection on a single chip, on beamline ID30A-3 (MASSIF3).
- Two benchmark proteins solved (lysozyme and aspartate α-decarboxylase); deposited as PDB 6rxh and 6rxi.
All figures here are device- and experiment-level results reported by the authors, not properties of the neat resin.
A custom protein-crystal sample holder printed in UHF
A 2024 study in Acta Crystallographica Section D (Engilberge et al.) described TR-icOS, a setup at the ESRF's icOS Lab for time-resolved microsecond UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy on protein crystals. The in-house sample holder (which mounts microcrystals between thin cyclic-olefin-copolymer films) was 3D-printed on an Asiga Pico2 DLP printer in 3Dresyn UHF. A nanosecond-laser pump and a microsecond xenon-flash probe record pump–probe spectra with delays from a few microseconds to seconds.
Primary-source attribution: the Methods (sample holder, §2.5) state the holder was 3D-printed on an Asiga Pico2 using 3Dresyns UHF resin, again a primary-source material attribution.
- Time resolution of about 2 µs, set by the xenon-flash probe.
- Applied to crystallized bacteriorhodopsin: the M-state build-up and decay were tracked, with maximal occupancy between about 100 µs and 1 ms.
- A laser-fluence (power) titration from 18 to 633 mJ cm⁻² identified roughly 100 mJ cm⁻² as the threshold above which photocycle artefacts appear, direct guidance for time-resolved diffraction experiments.
The 3Dresyn UHF part is the printed sample-environment hardware; the spectroscopic results belong to the experiment and the setup.
Why these resins
Why these photopolymers, for these sample environments
MF RTP1: for the X-ray microfluidic chip
- High-resolution DLP printing on a commercial Asiga printer, so small enclosed microchannels (down to ~200 × 280 µm in the cited device) can be printed reproducibly.
- Low channel-wall roughness (~3 µm in the study), which helps clean flow behaviour and a low, well-defined X-ray background.
- Affordable, manufacturable route to X-ray-compatible chips that install on standard beamlines with only minimal adjustments.
UHF: for the crystal sample holder
- Ultra-hard, rigid, high-resolution photopolymer suitable for small, dimensionally stable fixtures.
- In-house, iterable design: fine, repeatable features print on a desktop DLP printer (Asiga Pico2), so the holder can be redesigned quickly.
- Low shrinkage and good surface quality, supporting reproducible mounting of microcrystals.
These points describe why each resin suits its printed part. The performance numbers above are device/setup-level results; UHF's neat-resin datasheet values are listed under specifications below.
Evidence at a glance
What each study printed and reported
| Study | 3Dresyns resin → what was 3D-printed | Printer | Key reported result (device / setup level) | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D-MiXD microfluidic chip | MF RTP1 → X-ray-compatible microfluidic chip body (3D flow-focusing) | Asiga PICO 2HD (385 nm; 37 µm voxels; 25 µm layers) | ~3 µm channel-wall roughness; complete SSX data sets in ~60–90 min from 50–70 µl; >8 h continuous operation; PDB 6rxh / 6rxi | IUCrJ | 2020 |
| TR-icOS sample holder | UHF → custom protein-crystal sample holder for the TR-icOS spectroscopy setup | Asiga Pico2 | Time-resolved UV–Vis on bacteriorhodopsin crystals; ~2 µs resolution; M-state tracked 100 µs–1 ms; laser-fluence threshold ~100 mJ cm⁻² | Acta Cryst D | 2024 |
Mobile: scroll horizontally to view all columns; the first column stays visible. Every value is a device- or experimental-setup-level result reported by the authors, not a neat-resin specification.
Engineering insight
The resin is the printed sample environment, not the measurement
Across both studies the pattern is the same: the 3Dresyns photopolymer provides the printed hardware that holds or flows the sample (an X-ray-compatible microfluidic chip in one case, a microcrystal sample holder in the other), while the scientific result (diffraction-data quality, spectroscopic time resolution, photocycle kinetics) is a property of the whole experimental setup and the synchrotron beamline. 3D printing makes these sample environments fast to iterate, affordable and easy to install, which is the enabling contribution.
In synchrotron sample environments, the printed resin defines the hardware geometry and surface quality; the data and the time resolution belong to the experiment and the beamline, not to the neat resin.
Manufacturer specifications
Current manufacturer specifications for 3Dresyn UHF Bio (TDS)
Current reference values for the commercial UHF Bio product page linked below. The 2024 paper names "3Dresyns UHF resin"; these values are provided as current manufacturer context, not as measurements of the specific batch or printed holder used in the paper.
| Property | Typical reference value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Shore hardness | D80 | ISO 868 |
| Tensile strength | > 30 MPa | ISO 527-1 / 527-2 |
| Flexural strength | > 40 MPa | ISO 178 |
| Young's modulus | 1000–2000 MPa | ISO 527 |
| Elongation at break | < 15 % | ISO 527 |
| Viscosity | Low (optimised for recoating) | n/a |
| Shrinkage | Very low (typical) | n/a |
| Chemistry | Organo-tin-free, BPA-free, transition-metal-free | n/a |
Printing range: SLA, DLP and LCD. Source: 3Dresyn UHF Bio datasheet (TDS-UHF-BIO-EN). MF RTP1 is the microfluidic “MF” grade named in the 2020 paper; the current 3Dresyns microfluidic “MF” resins are listed in the microfluidic resins collection. The chip parameters cited above (37 µm voxels, 25 µm layers, ~3 µm wall roughness) are study/device-level values, not neat-resin specifications.
Frequently cited applications
Where these materials are used
- X-ray-compatible microfluidic devices for serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX)
- In-flow and in-situ sample delivery for macromolecular crystallography
- Custom protein-crystal sample holders for in-crystallo spectroscopy
- Time-resolved (pump–probe) sample environments at synchrotron beamlines
- 3D-printed optomechanical and laboratory fixtures
- Microfluidic devices for structural biology
The specific, verified demonstrations are the 3D-MiXD chip (MF RTP1) and the TR-icOS sample holder (UHF). The broader list reflects the application space discussed in the cited literature, not separate first-party claims.
Related products
What the studies used
The verified studies used 3Dresyn MF RTP1 (microfluidic “MF” grade) for the X-ray microfluidic chip and 3Dresyn UHF for the crystal sample holder.
Frequently asked questions
What role do 3Dresyn MF RTP1 and UHF play in this research?
They are the materials used to 3D-print the sample-environment hardware. MF RTP1 was used to print the body of an X-ray-compatible microfluidic chip (3D-MiXD) for serial synchrotron crystallography in flow; UHF was used to print a custom protein-crystal sample holder for the TR-icOS time-resolved spectroscopy setup. The scientific results come from the synchrotron experiments; the resins provide the printed sample environments.
Are the reported results properties of the resins?
No. The reported figures are device- and experimental-setup-level results published by the authors: microchannel size and wall roughness, data-collection time and sample volume, spectroscopic time resolution and laser-fluence thresholds. They are not neat-resin specifications. Manufacturer reference values for the neat UHF resin are listed above, from its datasheet.
Which 3Dresyns materials are confirmed, and how?
Both are named in the papers' own Methods sections, not only in marketing. IUCrJ 2020 states the microfluidic chip body was 3D-printed in MF RTP1, a resin designed by Resyner Technologies under the 3Dresyns brand. Acta Crystallographica D 2024 states the sample holder was 3D-printed on an Asiga Pico2 using 3Dresyns UHF resin.
What printers were used?
Both sample environments were printed on Asiga DLP printers: a PICO 2HD for the 3D-MiXD microfluidic chip (385 nm, 37 × 37 µm voxels, 25 µm layers) and a Pico2 for the TR-icOS crystal sample holder. Both studies were carried out at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble.
Research materials
Research materials for synchrotron sample environments
3Dresyn MF RTP1 and 3Dresyn UHF are the photopolymers behind the synchrotron sample environments summarised on this page. Used on Asiga DLP printers, MF RTP1 lets researchers fabricate X-ray-compatible microfluidic chips for serial synchrotron crystallography in flow, while UHF (an ultra-hard, high-resolution resin) lets groups print custom protein-crystal sample holders for time-resolved in-crystallo UV–Vis spectroscopy. Both routes are fast to iterate and easy to install at the beamline, which is the enabling contribution. For groups developing 3D-printed sample environments for the ESRF or other synchrotrons, these materials offer a manufacturable path from CAD to a printed chip or holder. The product and resource links on this page correspond to the materials used in the cited research; reported figures are device- and setup-level results, and final performance depends on the design, printer and process.
Get the materials
The photopolymers behind the synchrotron sample environments on this page: 3Dresyn UHF and the 3Dresyns microfluidic “MF” resins, together with the technical resources to print them.
Reported results are device- and experimental-setup-level findings published by the cited authors, whose Methods identify the 3Dresyns materials used. They are not first-party performance claims by 3Dresyns, and the figures are not neat-resin specifications.
More 3Dresyns evidence
Browse the full catalogue of peer-reviewed publications, market analyses and reviews referencing 3Dresyns materials.