Researchers Use DNA as 'Smart Glue' for 3D Printing

[Brian_Krassenstein]

While most nanoscale 3D printing has produced nanoscale results, turning out tiny products at huge costs, a team of researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin has come up with a new method to create macroscale products at significantly lower costs. Their paper, "3D Printing with Nucleic Acid Adhesives," was published in the ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering journal put out by the American Chemical Society. It focuses on the idea that DNA can be used as a "smart glue" to adhere nanoparticles together, creating a colloidal gel that can be extruded in predictable and stable shapes. This research provides a foundation for the growth of human cells in the resultant matrix. Check out more details in the full article: http://3dprint.com/37388/dna-smart-glue/

Let's hear your thoughts on this research and what it may ultimately mean for the 3D printing of human tissue.

[RickyRinson]

My dog produced things that look very similar to this after we feed it candy floss.