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3D Printer Makes Veins. No, Like, Actual Human Veins

Navneet Alang
By Toronto, ON2 min read
3D Printer Makes Veins. No, Like, Actual Human Veins

For you youngsters out there, Weird Science was a movie from the 1980s in which 2 young boys used a computer to literally create the woman of their dreams.Well, we aren't there yet, but with a development out of the University of Missouri, we're one step closer.

Researchers at the school have developed a working 3D printer that uses something called 'bio-ink' - a mushy, gooey substance made from human cells - that binds to a bio-paper template, which then dissolves to leave something that looks like a human body part.

While scientists are long way off from actually printing organs, they have managed to make a human vein, and are currently working on perfecting the process.

And who knows? Maybe in 20 years from now we'll be closer to living out a vaguely sexist 1980s ideal of manufacturing the perfect woman. The future! So much to look forward to!

DVICE

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About the Author

Navneet Alang

Tech Writer & Opinionist

Navneet Alang is a technology-culture writer based in Toronto.

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