In a science city SKOLKOVO created 1st Russian bioprinter. The device, as it may seem reminiscent of a simple 3D printer has a mechanical drive as well as the cartridges in the form of glass tubes that contain ink.

In the laboratory, "3D Bioprinting solutions under sterile glass box is the 1st Russian bioprinter. He rustles, expands cartridges, something is extruded onto a glass plate. In this embodiment, a simple drop of ink are not just cells, and the so-called tissue spheroids bulbs micron size, having within himself up to 2 thousand of living cells. Considering that the body consists of cells of different types, cartridges also several. Biomega, in other words, the place of fastening of biochannel, the hydrogel.

"Note that we're passionate about not growing, and the Assembly, i.e. an Assembly of bodies. Everything comes with a digital 3D model of the body - you need a virtual cut it into layers, to define the distribution of different cell types in the data layers to predict the placement of hollow spheroids, from which arise vessels", - tells the developer fixtures Russian scientist Vladimir Mironov.

According to the researcher, the naked eye can observe the action. On the basis of the hydrogel spread a layer of balls-spheroids (different colors of balls of different cells), then again the hydrogel layer and the subsequent layer of spheroids. And in the three-dimensional model emerged cylindrical holes are channels of vessels. However, when printed, the system is not yet ready body.

"While this is just a specific system in which the spheroids cells supports trapped between them hydrogel: hence the appearance of jelly. Coming of age - the maturation of the tissue, i.e. the accretion together spheroids with simultaneous removal of the hydrogel. This process happens in a special bioreactor: a small camera placed in supporting adequate temperature and humidity Cabinet incubator. "What you have seen, it is, in fact, there are 3 key production step of the authority: the creation of digital models, the printing process and maturation. Each one by itself in a separate difficult area of research" - quoted Mironov TASS.

Note that "simple" 3D printer has little surprise: it was invented in 1985 by the American Chuck Hall. After 3 decades of 3D printers are manufactured serially, their main commercial use for the day - print large prototypes anything, from houses to airplanes. There and home models that allow you to print, for example, a Cup. In medicine 3D printing also has long been used in surgery, dentistry for the production of prostheses or implants. But truly revolutionary look opportunities beobachte, subsequent evolutionary stages of 3D-printing. When the human race will learn to print living cells of the newest bodies instead of the worn-out, life will never be the same.
sections: Society