Printing skin
That old HP inkjet we used to use for college essays may soon go on to loftier achievements—like saving the lives of burn victims. Researchers at Wake Forest, Clemson Universities, and the Medical University of South Carolina have found that skin cells can safely pass through the larger nozzles of older Canon and HP inkjet printers. After harvesting skin cells from healthy skin biopsies (sounds pleasant), the cells are printed on a gauze scaffolding, which form into sheets of tissue over a few weeks' time. The printed skin grafts are sturdier than conventional skin grafts (and more valuable than a senior thesis). Researchers believe printed skin may be clinically tested in a few years.
