Printable Organs from 3D Bio-Printers?

Ever notice that it's always the biological technology that's freaky? We have no problems with remote-controlled planes with frickin' laser beams but the second someone starts talking about organs it's weird. Technology is metal and plastic, not flesh, and when it's flesh, it's just strange.

At least for me. But videogame developers seem to agree (hey, we're going to freak you out with a biological gun that shoots out pieces of the user's bones) and so did (MACABRE/VIOLENT CONTENT WARNING) David Croenenberg.

Anyway, this is, I guess, potentially life-saving technology that just wigs me out.

Bio-printers, Wired reports, “have the potential to change the way medical research is conducted, even print living tissue and replacement organs, but they are expensive and highly specialized. They literally build living structures, like blood vessels or skin tissue, cell by cell, revolutionizing biomedical engineering.”

The bioprinters available today are expensive and extremely complicated to operate, but BioCurious may change that. A talented team of hobbyists and scientists, led by Patrik D’haeseleer, who has worked at Harvard Medical School and the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, salvaged parts from ordinary printers and figured out how to print sheets of cells for experiments, all for about $150. One day, D’haeseleer hopes, these printers will churn out intact human tissue.

Imagine the revolution in medical care if affordable 3D printers can make replacement organs on demand. No longer will the grievously ill need to wait months or years for one to become available.

Your Mouth

...is 77% complete; installing Dentation sub-routine.

Rumors, etc.:

Print is not dead!

-- Dr. Varno

posted by Ace at 04:58 PM

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