3D Bioprinting Technology

Welcome To The Future.

Did you know that we can now design human body parts and have a machine print it in 3D! I find this absolutely incredible. We live in the age of all this new technology coming out and seeing how it works and the benefits it has. 3D printing has been around for almost two decades, but just recently in the past couple of years scientists and researchers have found a way to use this technology to start printing human tissues and small organs like an ear. 

A man named Erik Gatenholm, the chief executive and co-founder of a small Swedish company called Cellink, has done just that! Bioprinting is technology that allows you to print human cells together with a bioink material that Erik has made that the cells thrive within. Erik's bioink material is made from cellulose sourced from the Swedish forests, and alginate (cells that form a gummy substance) formed from seaweed in the Norwegian Sea. They need this material around them so it can mimic the human body and the cells can grow properly. This new science is going to be very beneficial to the medical world because scientists and researchers can now test new medications safely by growing skin and cartilage in their labs. His lab is able to actually grow human ears and noses!

3D printed human ear
Think of the possibilities this could produce for people who were born without body parts or those who have lost them from diseases or accidents. Erik and his company believe that in a couple of years that bioprinting technology could soon produce and grow real organs for people that need them. Since it is very hard to find organs for transplants because the lists are so long this technology could help save many lives in the future. Imagine a printer being able to make a human heart, or a liver! 

I think it is amazing how far technology has come over the last few years, scientists are making breakthroughs because they now have the resources and abilities from new emerging technology. I think you all should give this article a read and let me know what you think(3D Printing Article). Do you think it will be possible for scientists to start growing and producing actual working human organs in a few years? I would love to know your thoughts.

- Kassandra




Website cited- 
Savage, M. (2017). The firm that can 3D print human body parts. Gothenburg: BBC News.
Image cited-  3D Bioprinting Ear. Digital Image. 3D Printing Industry. April 17, 2016. Web. February 9, 2018. <3dprintingindustry.com>.

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