Summary

Living materials created with a 3D printer are like living tissues with one notable exception: You get to choose exactly which cells are in them, as well as their final 3D shape. Depending on the type of bacteria included in the print, the material can clean up contaminated water or break down waste materials such as plastic. The 3D bioprinters that create these structures, however, can cost upward of $100,000, and the soft shapes they produce can collapse before they set.

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