Designer and researcher Neri Oxman has successfully 3D-printed one of her “wearable skins” and filled its hollow tubes with a luminescent liquid to represent how it could host photosynthetic organisms .
For the duration of a TED speak in Vancouver earlier this 12 months, Oxman demonstrated that she and members of the Mediated Matter group at MIT Media Lab have been able to make Mushtari – one particular of 4 wearable pieces in her Wanderers selection.
The wearable structures in the collection have been developed to facilitate synthetic biological processes that might one day enable people to travel to and survive on other planets.
Utilizing triple-jet technological innovation provided by 3D-printing organization Stratasys, the crew was ready to create the sculpture in 1 piece from a blend of diverse plastic components that produced a variety of densities and transparencies.
“This is the initial time that 3D-printing technological innovation has been utilized to make a photosynthetic wearable piece with hollow inner channels made to house microorganisms,” said Oxman.
The structure’s series of channels are developed to permit liquid to flow through. The concept is that they could property photosynthetic organisms, which would generate power from light and by some means pass this onto the garment’s wearer.
“Inspired by the human gastrointestinal tract, Mushtari is made to host synthetic microorganisms – a co-culture of photosynthetic cyanobacteria and E. coli bacteria – that can fluoresce vibrant colours in darkness and make sugar or biofuels when exposed to the sun.”
Related story: Neri Oxman creates wearable 3D-printed structures for interplanetary voyages
“This kind of functions will, in the close to potential, augment the wearer by scanning our skins, repairing damaged tissue and sustaining our bodies, an experiment that has in no way been attempted ahead of,” she added.
The 58 metres of fluid channels that are wound inside the framework have an inner-channel diameter ranging from 1 millimetre to 2.5 centimetres.
Translucent and transparent sections of the tubes permit light to penetrate into the interior so the organisms could use it to photosynthesise.
Oxman’s team has managed to flow liquid containing cyanobacteria – bacteria that get energy through photosynthesis – by way of a tiny section of the tubes. The staff has not but demonstrated that the bacteria can photosynthesise although within the framework, but is continuing to test the compatibility of the printed materials with the microorganisms.
“In the end, it is clear that the incorporation of synthetic biology in 3D-printed products for wearable microbiomes will enable the transition from styles that are inspired by nature, to patterns produced with and by nature, to, perhaps developing nature herself,” Oxman explained.
