Living materials such as animal bones or plant stems have the ability to self-heal, regenerate, adapt to the environment and even make some choices. Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) in Zurich wrote that they want to take advantage of this feature in the study.
To do this, they used a 3D printer to print a three-dimensional mesh from a hydrogel loaded with the fungus Ganoderma lucidum. Similar to mold on food, fungal mycelium, the root network of fungi, filled this printed grid.
In about 20 days, this resulted in skin that was both firm and capable of regenerating itself. If you cut it, it will grow back together. The skin owes its self-healing ability to the metabolic activity of mycelial cells. They have evolved to roam in nature and grow in the openings of porous structures.
In order for the skin to grow again after damage, it must not lose this metabolic activity. And for that, it needs nutrients. According to the study, more research is needed on how exactly this fungal skin can be fed. In addition, it is still unclear how waste materials can be discharged over long periods of time.
To test the process, researchers at ETH printed a robot skin and used it to run several tests. They allow the printed bound robot to roll over different surfaces and dive into water. Printed cork leather easily passed all these tests. The study’s authors wrote that in the future this technology should “bring life to the world of materials.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-022-01429-5
(SDA)