Imagine walking up to a Star Trek replicator and ordering a bone graft instead of tea, Earl Grey, hot. We’re heading in that direction. The European Space Agency’s 3D Printing of Living Tissue for Space Exploration project aims to print human tissue to help injured astronauts heal when they’re far, far away from Earth. Scientists from the University Hospital of Dresden Technical University in Germany bio-printed skin and bone samples upside down to help determine if the method could be used in a low-gravity environment. It worked. ESA released videos of the printing in action. The skin sample was printed using human blood plasma as a “bio ink.” The researchers added plant and algae-based materials to increase the viscosity so it wouldn’t just fly everywhere in low gravity. “Producing the bone sample […]

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