Durch die Verbindung von synthetischer Biologie und 3D-Druck entstehen programmierbare lebende Materialien – Wissenschaftler nutzen Zellen, um neue Arten von Materialien herzustellen, die wachsen, sich selbst reparieren und sogar auf ihre Umgebung reagieren können.

From the article

>These solid “engineered living materials” are made by embedding cells in an inanimate matrix that’s formed in a desired shape. Now, researchers report in *ACS Central Science* that they have 3D printed a bioink containing plant cells that were then genetically modified, producing programmable materials. Applications could someday include biomanufacturing and sustainable construction.

>Recently, researchers have been developing engineered living materials, primarily relying on bacterial and fungal cells as the live component. But the unique features of plant cells have stirred enthusiasm for their use in engineered plant living materials (EPLMs). However, the plant cell-based materials created to date have had fairly simple structures and limited functionality. Ziyi Yu, Zhengao Di and colleagues wanted to change that by making intricately shaped EPLMs containing genetically engineered plant cells with customizable behaviors and capabilities.