Synthetic Biology, Genetic Engineering, and 3D Printing Develops Customizable Living Materials

Chinese researchers are using cells to produce materials that have the ability to grow, repair themselves, and respond to their surroundings. Their findings may have potential applications in biomanufacturing and sustainable construction.

Previous studies have been using bacterial and fungal cells to produce engineered living materials. Recently, plant cells have gained interest due to their usage in engineered plant living materials (EPLMs). However, the materials based on plant cells have basic structures and limited functionality.

To address this issue, scientists from various institutions developed complex-shaped EPLMs that have genetically engineered plant cells, which can be customized based on the preferred capabilities and behaviors. The team combined tobacco cells with biocompatible hydrogel microparticles (HMPs) with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which is a bacterium utilized for transferring DNA segments into plant genomes.

The mixture was then 3D printed, cured with blue light, and washed with antibiotics. After a few weeks, the tobacco plant cells grew, replicated, and produced proteins instructed by the transferred DNA. The created red or yellow plant pigments and green fluorescent proteins are valued as dietary supplements and natural colorants.

Read the press release of the American Chemical Society for more information.