One of the benefits of 3D printing is the ability to not only print perfect replicas of objects, but to make those replicas drastically larger or smaller maintaining their scale. This is extremely helpful for scientists like Dr. Katherine Holt of Massey University, who created 3D printed models of pollen grains at 2,000 to 3,000 times their original size. This enabled Dr. Holt's students to study the shape and texture of the pollen grains, which they were unable to do previously due to the two-dimensional limitations of a standard light transmitted microscope. Read more at 3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/109528/3d-printed-pollen-grains/