--- title: "Scientists 3D Print “Biomimetic” Copy of Human Tongue" description: "Researchers from the University of Leeds and Edinburgh in the UK have 3D printed the \"first ever biomimetic tongue surface.\"" date: "2020-10-28" modified: "2020-10-28" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/3d-printed-biomimetic-tongue" categories: - "3D Printing" - "Future Materials" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "electronic tongue" - "the digest" --- # Scientists 3D Print “Biomimetic” Copy of Human Tongue ![Researchers from the University of Leeds and Edinburgh in the UK have 3D printed the "first ever biomimetic tongue surface."]() *\Image: University of Leeds\* ## Biomimetic Tongue Researchers from the University of Leeds and Edinburgh in the UK have 3D printed what they call the "first ever biomimetic tongue surface." The synthetic surface mimics a variety of qualities of the human tongue, from the exact topology and elasticity, to the "wettability," according to [a statement](). These qualities determine how saliva interacts with the tongue, thereby determining the eating experience, ability to swallow, speech, and other factors. By developing an artificial surface, the researchers are hoping to glean insights into how the tongue affects the way we eat and speak. ## Scratchy and Wet To create the biomimetic tongue, the team took silicone impressions from the tongues of 15 adults. They then scanned these negatives to map the small details and 3D printed the tongue using a specialized digital light processing technology. Co-author and Leeds researcher Michael Bryant argued in the statement that creating such a tongue surface "with similar structure and mechanical properties will help streamline research and development for oral care, food products and therapeutic technologies." ## Taste Test Alas, the artificial tongue can't taste anything. "Recreating the surface of an average human tongue comes with unique architectural challenges," Efren Andablo-Reyes, postdoctoral fellow at Leeds, and lead author of [the study]() published this week in the journal *ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces*, said in the statement. "Hundreds of small bud-like structures called papilla give the tongue its characteristic rough texture that in combination to the soft nature of the tissue create a complicated landscape from a mechanical perspective." **READ MORE:** [3D-printed "biomimetic tongue" works like the real thing]() \[*New Atlas*\] **More on biomimetics:** *[This Swimming Squid Robot Looks Absolutely Amazing]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()