<h2>Small Heart</h2>
<p>In what the Israeli media <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/science-and-health/.premium-israeli-scientists-print-world-s-first-3-d-heart-1.7124321">is calling</a> a &#8220;world&#8217;s first,&#8221; scientists at Tel Aviv University have 3D printed a small heart using human tissue that includes vessels, collagen, and biological molecules — a breakthrough, <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/science-and-health/.premium-israeli-scientists-print-world-s-first-3-d-heart-1.7124321">according to <em>Haaretz</em></a>, that they hope could one day render organ donation obsolete.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/crT9iJMawjk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Rodent Model</h2>
<p>The technology is still many years out from human transplants, though — the team&#8217;s rodent-sized printed heart isn&#8217;t quite there yet.</p>
<p>&#8220;The cells need to form a pumping ability; they can currently contract, but we need them to work together,&#8221; lead scientist Tal Dvir <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/science-and-health/.premium-israeli-scientists-print-world-s-first-3-d-heart-1.7124321">told <em>Haaretz</em></a>. &#8220;This is the first time anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart complete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers,&#8221; Dvir said.</p>
<h2>Bioinks</h2>
<p>To print the heart, the scientists created a &#8220;personalized hydrogel&#8221; to form &#8220;bioinks,&#8221; according to a paper <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.201900344">published today</a> in the journal <em>Advanced Science</em>. The hydrogel originated from fatty tissues extracted from human test subjects.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not the first time 3D printing technology was used to print organs. For instance, a team of researchers at ETH Zurich created a <a href="https://futurism.com/this-3d-printed-human-heart-can-do-everything-a-real-one-can">3D printed artificial heart</a> back in 2017, but rather than using human tissue, those researchers used a flexible material.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.haaretz.com/science-and-health/.premium-israeli-scientists-print-world-s-first-3-d-heart-1.7124321">Israeli Scientists Print World’s First 3-D Heart</a> [<em>Haaretz</em>]<strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p>More on 3D printed organs: <em><a href="https://futurism.com/this-3d-printed-human-heart-can-do-everything-a-real-one-can">This 3D-Printed Human Heart Can Do Everything a Real One Can</a> </em><strong><br />
</strong></p>


The scientists created a "personalized hydrogel" to form "bioinks."

Researchers create first ever 3D-printed heart using human tissue

Lub Dub

Scientists at Tel Aviv University have created 3D printed "cardiac patches" and a small heart that includes vessels, collagen, and biological molecules.

Researchers Create First Ever 3D-Printed Heart Using Human Tissue

They say it could one day render organ donation obsolete.

<h2>Hyper-Personal</h2>
<p>You&#8217;ll need more than a reservation to dine at <a href="http://www.open-meals.com/sushisingularity/index_e.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sushi Singularity</a> — you&#8217;ll also need to be willing to share samples of your bodily fluids.</p>
<p>The futuristic restaurant, which is set to open in Tokyo in 2020, collects samples of reservation-holders&#8217; saliva, feces, and urine two weeks prior to their visits. Then it analyzes the samples to determine each diner&#8217;s unique nutritional requirements, tailoring their meal to meet those needs.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hyper-personalisation will become common for future foods,&#8221; Open Meals, the design studio behind the restaurant, <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/04/02/sushi-singularity-3d-printed-sushi-customised/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told <em>Dezeen</em></a>. &#8220;Based on DNA, urine, and intestinal tests, people will each have individual health IDs.&#8221;</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zNcfQrzMVTc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Stunning Sushi</h2>
<p>Not only will each meal be hyper-personalized, it will also be constructed using non-traditional tools, including a CNC machine and 3D printer.</p>
<p>&#8220;There will be 14 cylinders with different nutrients attached to the food-fabrication machine,&#8221; Open Meals said, &#8220;and when it 3D prints a dish of sushi, for example, some nutrients that are necessary for the customer will be added automatically.&#8221;</p>
<p>If the food Sushi Singularity serves is half as stunning as that featured in the restaurant&#8217;s promo video, it&#8217;ll be a futuristic feast for the eyes and tastebuds.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2019/04/02/sushi-singularity-3d-printed-sushi-customised/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sushi Singularity makes a bespoke dinner based on your bodily fluids</a> [<em>Dezeen</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on futuristic food:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/ai-food-research-better-recipes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AI Trained on Decades of Food Research Is Making Brand-New Foods</a></em></p>


"Hyper-personalisation will become common for future foods."

Restaurant analyzes your bodily fluids to make ultra-nutritious sushi

Off Menu

A futuristic restaurant plans to collect samples of diners' bodily fluids so it can create meals hyper-personalized to meet their nutritional needs.

Restaurant Analyzes Your Bodily Fluids to Make Ultra-Nutritious Sushi

Every meal is tailored to meet the nutritional needs of the person eating it.

<h2>Injuries Out</h2>
<p>A team of bioengineers has successfully 3D-printed tissues they believe doctors could one day implant into patients to help heal the knee, ankle, and elbow injuries that have ended the careers of countless athletes.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think this will be a powerful tool to help people with common sports injuries,&#8221; Rice University researcher Sean Bittner said in a <a href="https://news.rice.edu/2019/03/28/3d-printed-tissues-may-keep-athletes-in-action/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> — though the impact of the group&#8217;s work could extend far beyond the turf or pitch.</p>
<h2>Transition Complete</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1742706119302168" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> published in the journal <em>Acta Biomaterialia</em>, Bittner and his fellow researchers from Rice University and the University of Maryland (UMD) detail their efforts to engineer an implant that would replicate the body&#8217;s osteochondral tissue.</p>
<p>This is the tissue found at the end of long bones, and because its consistency changes — it transitions from cartilage to bone — bioengineers have had trouble mimicking it in the lab.</p>
<p>At least, they did until now. The Rice and UMD researchers used different materials to 3D print each part of their osteochondral tissue scaffold: a polymer mixture for the cartilage and a ceramic for the bone.</p>
<h2>Personalized Medicine</h2>
<p>The researchers also added pores to the scaffold that the patient’s own cells and blood vessels could infiltrate. This would allow the implant to seamlessly merge with the recipient&#8217;s natural biology, helping heal their injured bone and cartilage.</p>
<p>The next step for the researchers is figuring out how to print implants designed to perfectly fit specific patients.</p>
<p>And while athletes are more likely to be on the receiving end of these implants, Bittner points out that a pro sports contract isn&#8217;t a prerequisite for an osteochondral injury — anybody can suffer from one, meaning we could all benefit if the team is able to perfect its engineered tissue.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://news.rice.edu/2019/03/28/3d-printed-tissues-may-keep-athletes-in-action/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3D-printed tissues may keep athletes in action</a> [Rice University]</p>
<p><strong>More on healing bones:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/new-implant-heals-broken-legs-transforming-real-bone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A New Implant Heals Broken Legs by Transforming Into Real Bone</a></em></p>


"I think this will be a powerful tool to help people with common sports injuries."

These scientists are 3D-printing new body parts for athletes

Play Ball

Researchers have 3D-printed tissues to replicate the bone and cartilage most often injured through sports — and their creation could save athletes' careers.

These Scientists Are 3D-Printing New Body Parts for Athletes

These tissues could help athletes bounce back from what are currently career-ending injuries.

<h2>Space Habitat</h2>
<p>NASA&#8217;s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge that kicked off in 2015 has challenged teams around the U.S. to render, prove the structural integrity, and construct a model of a habitat that could one day shelter humans on the surface of the Moon or even Mars.</p>
<p>And yesterday, NASA <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/3DPHab/latest-updates-from-nasa-on-3d-printed-habitat-competition">crowned the top three winners</a> of the Challenge&#8217;s latest round, challenging the participating teams to &#8220;complete a virtual construction level.&#8221; The top three teams, which split a prize of $100,000, hail from New York, Arkansas, and New Haven — and their designs are bold visions of off-world habitation.</p>
<h2>First Place</h2>
<p>The winner of this round of the Challenge is team SEArch+/Apis Cor for a vertical habitat design that can be continuously reinforced with additional 3D printing. Light enters through circular ports around the outside and the top.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W4pxp5AGeNE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Second Place</h2>
<p>Second place goes to Team Zopherus for a design that would be constructed by a roving 3D printer.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2TLnCOCVicE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Third Place</h2>
<p>Team Mars Incubator was awarded third place. Its pods are made out of hexagonal pieces of 3D printed plates consisting of polyethylene, fibers, and locally sourced regolith, could one day house a team of astronauts.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nHxO-zmqdLM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>It&#8217;s a fascinating competition that paints an incredibly detailed picture of what the future of Moon or even Mars exploration could look like one day — and we&#8217;ve never been closer to that future.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/3DPHab/latest-updates-from-nasa-on-3d-printed-habitat-competition">Top Three Teams Share $100,000 Prize in Complete Virtual Construction Level of 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge</a> [<em>NASA</em>]</p>
<p><strong>More on the Challenge:</strong> <em><a href="https://futurism.com/nasa-mars-habitat-design-competition">Here Are The Finalists For NASA&#8217;s Mars Habitat Design Competition</a></em></p>


It's a fascinating competition that paints an incredibly detailed picture of what the future of Moon or even Mars exploration could look like one day.

These 3D-printed Mars habitats just won a NASA award

3D Printed Habitats

NASA crowned the top three winners of the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge's latest round, challenging teams to "complete a virtual construction level."

These 3D-Printed Mars Habitats Just Won a NASA Award

Here's a closer look at what it'll be like to live on Mars one day.

<h2>Print &#8220;Motorcycle&#8221;</h2>
<p>A <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190208-the-worlds-first-3d-printed-electric-motorbike">new <em>BBC</em> video</a> shows an electric motorcycle called the Nera that looks like something from a stylized video game — a &#8220;TRON&#8221;-like design made possible by the fact that it&#8217;s almost 100 percent 3D printed, down to the airless tires.</p>
<p>&#8220;The idea was to demonstrate to designers and engineers and architects and the general consumer what 3D printing was all about,&#8221; said Stephan Beyer, the CEO of Nera maker BigRep. &#8220;Historically, engineers and designers have been limited with manufacturing technologies like grinding and molding.&#8221;</p>
<h2>&#8220;TRON&#8221; Bike</h2>
<p>Though you can&#8217;t buy it yet, the <em>BBC</em> says the Nera is expected to cost about £2,000 ($2,600.)</p>
<p>The <em>BBC </em>claims the Nera is the world&#8217;s first 3D printed electric motorcycle — though, to be fair, a separate project <a href="https://futurism.com/light-rider-the-worlds-first-3d-printed-electric-motorcycle">called the Light Rider</a> appears to have come first.</p>
<h2>Bike Hack</h2>
<p>Still, the Nera is an extraordinarily bold design, with futuristic angles and polygons that look too sharp for the staid world of automotive design. Beyers credits those bold choices with the possibilities opened up by 3D printing.</p>
<p>&#8220;The nice thing with 3D printing is that you can swipe those limitations away and you can create objects that have completely new capabilities, follow completely new sets of designs,&#8221; he told the <em>BBC</em>. &#8220;For instance, with the outer hull of the bike, that follows a design that we created that you would typically not be able to bring to life with a traditional bike.&#8221;</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s4p59wk_0R4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190208-the-worlds-first-3d-printed-electric-motorbike">The world’s first 3D-printed electric motorbike</a> [<em>BBC</em>]</p>
<p><strong><em>More on motorcycles: </em></strong><a href="https://futurism.com/harley-davidsons-electric-motorcycle-august"><em>Harley-Davidson’s Electric Motorcycle Will Go on Sale in August</em></a></p>


"The idea was to demonstrate to designers and engineers and architects and the general consumer what 3D printing was all about."

This 3D printed electric motorcycle looks like something from "TRON"

Bike Like

An electric motorcycle called Nera looks like something from a video game — a design made possible by the fact that it's almost 100 percent 3D printed.

This 3D Printed Electric Motorcycle Looks Like Something From “TRON”

Even the tires are 3D printed.

<h2>3D Printed Rockets</h2>
<p>We&#8217;ve seen 3D printed rockets <a href="https://futurism.com/relativity-3d-printed-rocket">before</a>, but never on this scale.</p>
<p>UK space startup Orbex just showed off its Prime Rocket&#8217;s gigantic second stage — the &#8220;world&#8217;s largest 3D printed rocket engine,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://orbex.space/assets/uploads/documents/Forres-launch-press-release-FINAL-no-embargo-notice.pdf">press release</a>. The entire rocket, including the engine, will stand at 56 feet (17 meters) tall — roughly a quarter of the size of SpaceX&#8217;s Falcon 9 rocket, for context. In other words, things are heating up in the world of 3D printed spacecraft.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING NEWS: Orbex reveals <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Prime?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Prime</a>, the completed stage 2 rocket and the world’s most efficient <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#smallsat</a> launcher. It includes the world’s largest 3D printed rocket engine and designed to run on bio-propane, a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/clean?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#clean</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/renewable?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#renewable</a> energy source. <a href="https://t.co/jl0qARduyb">https://t.co/jl0qARduyb</a> <a href="https://t.co/9Nos4325aV">pic.twitter.com/9Nos4325aV</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Orbex Space (@orbexspace) <a href="https://twitter.com/orbexspace/status/1093566647720390656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h2>Seamless</h2>
<p>The news comes weeks after U.S.-based startup Relativity Space <a href="https://futurism.com/air-force-grants-launch-site-3d-printed-rocket-relativity-space">signed a contract</a> with the U.S. Air Force to launch their 3D printed rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.</p>
<p>Orbex worked with aerospace engineer veterans from organizations including NASA and the European Space Association to build the Stage 2 rocket, which is the part of a multi-stage rocket that pushes a spacecraft into orbit after a launch from Earth.</p>
<p>The startup claims it&#8217;s the first time a 3D printed rocket engine was &#8220;uniquely manufactured in a single piece without joins.&#8221; That means the rocket is up to 30 percent lighter and 20 percent more efficient than other small launchers. No welds or joins also means that the rocket could withstand extreme temperature and pressure fluctuations better.</p>
<p>The rocket is also designed to use bio-propane, a &#8220;clean-burning, renewable fuel source that cuts carbon emissions by 90 percent.&#8221;</p>
<h2>3D Printed Future</h2>
<p>Orbex has already made major strides, choosing the yet-to-be-built <a href="https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-orbex-to-launch-from-new-british-spaceport/">spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland</a> last year for its upcoming first launch in 2021. The company also partnered with Swiss satellite tech startup <a href="https://phys.org/news/2018-12-astrocast-successfully-satellite.html">Astrocast</a> to launch 64 nanosatellites to build a global Internet of Things network.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s yet another sign that the private space sector is growing — and at an unrelenting pace. 3D printing technology could push it even further ahead.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/08/3d-printed-rocket-engine-orbex/">Take a look at the world&#8217;s largest 3D-printed rocket engine</a> [<em>Engadget</em>]</p>
<p><em><strong>More on 3D printed rockets: </strong><a href="https://futurism.com/air-force-grants-launch-site-3d-printed-rocket-relativity-space">U.S. Air Force Approves Launch Site for 3D Printed Rocket</a></em></p>


The rocket uses bio-propane, cutting 90 percent of carbon emissions.

UK startup shows off world's largest 3D printed rocket engine

3D Printed Rockets

UK space startup Orbex just showed off the design of its 3D-printed second stage for its Prime Rocket.

UK Startup Shows Off World’s Largest 3D Printed Rocket Engine

It's designed to use a renewable fuel for maximum efficiency.

<h2>Drastic Outsourcing</h2>
<p>To help cut down at the horrifically-long donor organ waitlist, some scientists are looking up to outer space.</p>
<p>Several doctors have tried to 3D print organs in the lab, with mixed results — organs with complex internal structures, like hearts and lungs, tend to collapse under their own weight.</p>
<p>Now, instead of supporting them with complex scaffolding systems, some scientists are wondering if it&#8217;d be better to send the 3D printer up to the zero-gravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS) in order to print hearts in space, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46944972">according to <em>BBC News</em></a> — a convergence of space and medicine that could prove either be a grim folly or shape the future of surgery.</p>
<h2>My Sides Are in Orbit</h2>
<p>A number of scientists have already explored the idea of <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-agencies-treat-astronaut-injuries-3d-printing">microgravity 3D printing</a>. Next up will be a startup called Techshot, which has partnered with NASA to develop a biological 3D printer that it plans to send to the ISS this coming May.</p>
<p>First, the company plans to spend about a year on experiments that will determine how well the printer works in space. At that point, the company will largely focus on developing cardiac tissues, according to <em>BBC News</em>.</p>
<h2>Open Source</h2>
<p>&#8220;After our test protocols have been completed, we&#8217;ll open the program up to outside researchers who want to use our device,&#8221; Techshot VP Rich Boling told <em>BBC News</em>. After all those tests are done, Boling explained that the company will modify and optimize its printer before sending it back into space to fabricate even more complex tissues.</p>
<p>Once everything is up and running, Techshot hopes to manufacture hearts and other complex organs for people in need, Boling told <em>BBC News</em>. Not only could printed organs cut waitlist times, but Techshot also hopes that printing organs using the recipient&#8217;s stem cells will improve the odds of a person&#8217;s body accepting the new organ.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46944972">Why your new heart could be made in space one day</a> [<em>BBC News</em>]</p>
<p><strong><em>More on 3D printing: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-successfully-3d-prints-space-microgravity">NASA: OBJECTS 3D PRINTED IN SPACE PERFORM WELL ENOUGH TO SUPPORT MISSIONS</a></em></strong></p>


Apparently our abundance of gravity has held back the 3D-printed organs game.

Here's why NASA wants to 3D print human hearts in space

Free Range

Techshot partnered with NASA to develop a 3D printer that the company believes will be able to manufacture functional human organs in space.

Here’s Why NASA Wants to 3D Print Human Hearts in Space

The future of 3D-printed organs could be in orbit.

<h2>3D Printed Rocket</h2>
<p>A three-year-old startup is trying to launch rockets into space that are almost entirely 3D printed. And it just got permission from the U.S. Air Force to launch from the <a href="http://afspacemuseum.org/ccafs/CX16/">historic Launch Complex 16</a> at Cape Canaveral in Florida.</p>
<p>Relativity Space — a rocket-building company founded by SpaceX and Blue Origin alumni — revealed a new contract with the U.S. Air Force this week that would allow it to launch from a site that has been unused since 1988, <a href="https://qz.com/1526158/rocket-start-up-relativity-leased-a-launch-pad-from-the-us-air-force/">according to <em>Quartz</em></a>. If the company manages to regularly launch rockets from the site, it could be able to extend the contract into a 20-year exclusive agreement with the Air Force.</p>
<h2>Giant Rocket Printers</h2>
<p>Relativity Space has ambitious plans: it wants to 3D print an entire rocket with its groundbreaking, building-sized <a href="https://www.relativityspace.com/stargate">Stargate</a> metal 3D printer, then launch it into orbit. Its long term plans are also enormous — the company wants to eventually 3D print rockets on Mars, according to its <a href="https://www.relativityspace.com/">official website</a>.</p>
<p>3D printing a rocket would be simpler and allow for more efficient designs, fewer moving parts, and faster construction. The company&#8217;s first planned launch vehicle called Terran 1 would only take 60 days to print, and would have a max payload of 1,250 kg (2756 lbs) to low-Earth orbit — at least if everything works out as planned.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/260505466?app_id=122963" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" title="Relativity Aeon Engine Epic" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Growth Spurt</h2>
<p>Relativity Space is going through a growth spurt right now. Its number of employees rose from 14 to 60, co-founder Tim Ellis <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/01/relativity-space-to-launch-from-historic-florida-site/">told</a> <em>Ars Technica</em>. It&#8217;s also planning a test launch of the Terran 1 rocket in 2020, with commercial missions starting in 2021.</p>
<p>Using 3D printing technology to blast off into space is an exciting idea, and could make building rockets faster and cheaper. But the proof is in the pudding — or rocket fuel.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/01/relativity-space-to-launch-from-historic-florida-site/">Relativity Space to launch from historic Florida site</a> [<em>Ars Technica</em>]</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>More on Relativity Space: <a href="https://futurism.com/relativity-3d-printed-rocket">A Fully 3D Printed Rocket Is Not as Crazy as it Seems</a></strong></span></p>


Its first rocket would be built from fewer than 1,000 parts — as opposed to nearly 100,000.

U.S. Air Force approves launch site for 3D printed rocket

Relativity Space — a 3D-rocket-printing company founded by SpaceX, and Blue Origin alumni — got permission from the Air Force to launch from Cape Canaveral.

U.S. Air Force Approves Launch Site for 3D Printed Rocket

Eventually, the company plans to 3D print a rocket on Mars.

<h2>One Small Step</h2>
<p>Lab rats paralyzed from spinal cord injuries regained the ability to walk after scientists gave them 3D-printed implants loaded up with stem cells.</p>
<p>The implants were biocompatible scaffolds full of minuscule channels through which stem cells could grow. They bridged across the injured section of the rats&#8217; spinal cord and restored function to the rats&#8217; back legs, according to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-018-0296-z">research published Monday</a> in the journal <em>Nature Medicine</em>.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s too soon to say that this technique could help humans with spinal cord injuries, but the success of the animal study could pave the way for human research in the future.</p>
<h2>Extended Network</h2>
<p>Not only did the stem cells embedded into the new experimental implant&#8217;s channels grow down the length of the spine, but <a href="https://futurism.com/scientists-may-have-discovered-how-spinal-injuries-are-repaired-on-a-cellular-level">existing nerve cells</a> in the rats&#8217; spines recognized the scaffolding and extended their axons — the long tail-like structures through which nerve cells transmit signals — down along the new bridge as well. Blood vessels were able to do the same.</p>
<p>The result was that previously-paralyzed were able to walk again, about six months after surgery.</p>
<h2>Thinking Small</h2>
<p>The most challenging aspect of the research, and the aspect to which most of the research paper is dedicated, is figuring out how to actually build the scaffolding. The scientists figured out how to construct a two-millimeter-long functional, durable implant containing dozens of 200-micrometer-wide channels for stem cells. That means each channel was the same size as the <a href="https://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/BrianLey.shtml">thickest of human hairs</a>. With a 3D printer, the whole manufacturing process takes just about 1.6 seconds, according to the research paper.</p>
<p>But it took time to figure out the right material to use — some experimental designs described in the research broke or totally disintegrated in a matter of weeks; others were rejected by the rats&#8217; immune systems. The successful implants were made of a material called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24717683">polyethylene glycol–gelatin methacrylate</a>, which is a flexible hydrogel designed specifically to be biocompatible.</p>
<p>Though the research includes some prospective information on how to bring this research into human experiments, it remains unclear whether similar materials will work as well in the human spine as they did in the rats&#8217;. And with the stakes of such an experiment that much higher, much more work needs to be done before they give it a shot.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/3d-printing-helps-heal-spinal-cord-injuries-in-rats-11607877">3D printing helps heal spinal cord injuries in rats</a> [<em>Sky News</em>]</p>
<p><strong><em>More on spinal cord injuries:</em></strong> <strong><em><a href="https://futurism.com/gene-therapy-damaged-spinal-cords">New Gene Therapy Could Stitch Together Damaged Spinal Cords</a></em></strong></p>


The implant acted like scaffolding to bridge over spinal cord injuries.

3D printed implants and stem cells helped paralyzed rats walk again

Baby Steps

Scientists built a 3D-printed implant that helps stem cells bridge over a spinal cord injury, restoring function to the previously-paralyzed limbs.

3D Printed Implants and Stem Cells Helped Paralyzed Rats Walk Again

Implanted spinal "scaffolds" allowed stem cells to repair spinal cord injuries.

<h2>Behind the Mask</h2>
<p>Skincare company Neutrogena is solidifying its position in the world of technology and data collection with a new skincare product.</p>
<p>The company is poised to start selling 3D printed custom face masks based on imaging of a customer&#8217;s face, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/3/18165651/neutrogena-maskid-app-custom-face-mask-ces-2019">according to <em>The Verge</em></a>, to perfectly fit their facial features and deliver localized spot treatments — another sign that 3D scanning and rapid fabrication are of interest to companies far beyond niche technology markets.</p>
<h2>Targeted Care</h2>
<p>Each MaskiD mask can be customized based on a person&#8217;s specific skin conditions to deliver ingredients like vitamin C and feverfew. So if the skin on your forehead needs a different treatment than the skin on your cheeks, you would be able to take care of both with one mask.</p>
<p>The masks, announced at the <a href="https://www.ces.tech/About-CES.aspx">tech showcase CES 2019</a>, will be customized and sold <a href="https://www.allure.com/story/neutrogena-maskid-3d-printed-face-mask">through an iOS app, MaskiD</a> later in 2019. Neutrogena has been secretive as far as costs, but it would be reasonable to assume that the added costs of customization and personalization would bring the cost of these MaskiD facemasks <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/01/skin-care-secret-wealth/579337/">up quite a bit</a>.</p>
<h2>Data Play</h2>
<p>Neutrogena would love for you to share your personal data with them for reasons beyond using it to enhance your skincare routine, <em>The Verge</em> reports.</p>
<p>The company likely won&#8217;t be selling user data, but any information collected through a Skin360 device essentially becomes free market research and data analytics that the company can use to improve its product line and offer specific recommendations based on people&#8217;s skin.</p>
<p>But hey, if these masks can help get rid of my Grand Canyon-esque crow&#8217;s feet, I&#8217;ll tell Neutrogena anything it wants to know.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE:</strong> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/3/18165651/neutrogena-maskid-app-custom-face-mask-ces-2019">Neutrogena will 3D print custom face masks based on buyers’ skin measurements</a> [<em>The Verge</em>]</p>
<p><strong><em>More on skincare: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/loreal-apple-wearable-uv-radiation">L’OREAL AND APPLE BUILT A WEARABLE TO MEASURE UV RADIATION</a></em></strong></p>


No one cared who I was until I put on the mask (and my skin cleared up.)

Neutrogena is printing custom face masks that fit you perfectly

DIY Halloween

Neutrogena announced a new line of custom face masks at CES 2019. The masks are customized to your face and can treat each region of skin.

/3 D Printing

Lub Dub

Researchers Create First Ever 3D-Printed Heart Using Human Tissue

Off Menu

Restaurant Analyzes Your Bodily Fluids to Make Ultra-Nutritious Sushi

Play Ball

These Scientists Are 3D-Printing New Body Parts for Athletes

3D Printed Habitats

These 3D-Printed Mars Habitats Just Won a NASA Award

Bike Like

This 3D Printed Electric Motorcycle Looks Like Something From “TRON”

3D Printed Rockets

UK Startup Shows Off World’s Largest 3D Printed Rocket Engine

Free Range

Here’s Why NASA Wants to 3D Print Human Hearts in Space

3D Printed Rockets

U.S. Air Force Approves Launch Site for 3D Printed Rocket

Baby Steps

3D Printed Implants and Stem Cells Helped Paralyzed Rats Walk Again

DIY Halloween

Neutrogena is Printing Custom Face Masks That Fit You Perfectly

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