One of the large barriers present in developing structures on other planets is the deterioration of materials without available replacements; and 'living ink' is a new scientific discovery that could solve this issue. living ink, as the name implies, is technically alive. It is an ink formula created by Northeastern University through the use of reprogrammed E.coli bacteria cells instead of the traditional use of polymers. These E.coli then produce proteins that can be used to 3D print objects.
The most important aspect of this creation is the fact that the resulted products would technically be comprised of living cells, meaning they could repair themselves and create more of themselves through cell division if given the right circumstances. The researchers that developed this living ink have stated that it can hypothetically be used in environmental science fields to clean up pollution or in health fields to release certain drugs. It is also important to note that living ink does not exist in a constant state of replication, it will only create more of itself under specific circumstances.
Image Credit: Northeastern University, Matthew Madoono
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Living Ink
- Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Industries can incorporate this new living ink to manufacture products, bringing forth self-healing and self-replicating materials.
- Bioprinting
- Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: 3D printing with living ink can be used in various industries, including biomedical engineering, drug delivery, and environmental science.
- Biomaterials
- Disruptive Innovation Opportunity: Researchers can create more biomaterials using the process of living ink as the base material that could replace traditional polymers in different fields.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Biomedical Engineering
- The living ink can be used for bioprinting human cells and tissues, creating opportunities for personalized medicine and drug discovery.
- Environmental Science
- Living ink can be used to address pollution problems by creating self-replicating materials that can consume pollutants.
- Manufacturing
- Industries can use living ink to manufacture new products and bring forth the possibility of self-healing and self-replicating materials in the market.
