Scientists have discovered a new tissue-engineering concept that grows tissue on a moving robotic skeleton that could allow improved quality of tissue engineering.?
Also Read:?Indian Engineering Students Built AI Tools To Better Fight Covid-19 In Rural India
By growing the tissues on a full robotic skeleton, the cells could be programmed to move and stretch similar to naturally grown human cells. This would allow a wider medical application.?
To test out the proof of concept, researchers fabricated a robotic shoulder joint that could accurately simulate human body movements. Then, they created a bioreactor and fitted it into the shoulder.?
The reactor consisted of strings of biodegradable filaments that connected two anchor points. These filaments were then seeded with human cells and filled a chamber built around the filaments with nutrient-rich liquid. This allowed for growth in the cells.?
Over the course of two weeks, the cells grew alongside a daily workout routine that included 30 minutes of the skeleton moving cells in different directions to allow it to stretch and flex freely.
During the experiment, the researchers saw several differences and changes, especially when compared to cells that were otherwise grown in a static environment.?
Also read:?Teenage Hacker Who Found IRCTC's Security Hole Explains How He Did It
However, researchers aren’t quite certain if the changes caused by the new concept are any good. One of the researchers in a conversation with The Verge revealed that the changes were ambiguous for application in the field of medicine.
Researchers highlight that eventually growing human cells on a robotic skeleton is very much possible. However, there is still a need for determining if the changes caused by the skeleton are worth the time.
For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.