A program launched in the Department of Defense is seeking new ways to create building materials that mimic natural processes of growth and repair. The use of living cells to create building materials has long been recognized as a potentially beneficial practice, however, the processes for converting living cells into building materials has not been successful at keeping those cells alive. The current program is looking at the potential that 3D printers have for creating structural materials out of living cells because of the technology's ability to work with cells without killing them. Read more at 3DPrint.com: https://3dprint.com/149096/3d-printed-living-materials/