| Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed 'living tattoos' that print on bio-inks made up of living cells and hydrogels. When glued to human skin and exposed to certain chemicals , The tree-like 'tattoo' glows.The study was led by Xuanhe Zhao of MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering and Timothy Lu, associate professor of bioengineering, electrical engineering and computer science, and their research papers were published in Advanced Materials "Magazine published.  Researchers have come up with a dedicated biofinishing technology that enables them to create flexible, flexible, wearable structures made of genetically engineered biomaterials, and in their presentation, MIT researchers used 3D printing to print a live-bacteria A multicolored tree-shaped tattoo made of cells The three different branch colors of a tree represent different cell types, and each branch is designed to react to different chemicals of the molecular compound. By exposing human skin to these specific chemicals and then applying a thin, transparent 'tattoo' to the skin, the 3D printed branches begin to glow when they come in contact with these chemicals. The researchers explained that this process An active material that can be used to make wearable sensors and interactive displays that react and detect specific chemicals. 3D printed tattoos are also likely to be used in drug delivery and surgical implants as they can be constructed to contain cells that make compounds such as glucose, which can be released into the body on demand as needed, and the researchers say that Innovative approach for 3D printing 'living computer' (a complex structure of many cell types that communicate with one another). The research team faces some hurdles when it comes to developing 3D bio-print tattoos: First, scientists must find the right cells to withstand the printing process, and as they explain, scientists around the world are struggling to print mammalian cells because of their vulnerability Sexual, easy to break, and did not get much success. As a solution, MIT's team turned to bacterial cells that are easier to form harder cell walls than mammalian cells and tolerate harsh environments, and interestingly, bacterial cells are more compatible with hydrogel materials, Making it ideal for bioprinting applications. Despite this, researchers are still looking for the best hydrogel blends to print tattoos in vivo and find that hydrogels containing pranitone are the most suitable, with the ideal flow characteristics that can be printed through a nozzle . The final printable material consists of a hydrogel matrix mixed with bacterial cells and nutrients that keep the cells alive, according to Zhao, a biofilm that is well suited for printing and even shows that it can be applied at 30 microns per feature High-resolution printing capabilities. The living tattoo itself is customized with a 3D printer for bioprinting applications.Once printed, the tattoo can be cured with UV radiation and then applied to human skin exposed to various chemical compounds.As mentioned above, when a particular cell type and As the chemical contacts, the tattoo's branches gradually begin to shine. Although still in its early stages, living tattoo research looks promising and we can not wait to find out what types of living tattoos are available for 3D printing in the future. Source: 天工 社 |
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