Swiss scientists develop method for ‘printing bones’

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a bio-composite that is unprecedently strong, light, and environmentally friendly. They hope to use it to mend works of art and coral reefs as well as bones. The new 3D-printable ink contains a bacterium that produces calcium carbonate on contact with a solution containing urea, EPFL said in a statement on Thursday. Within about four days, any shape from the 3D printer mineralises into a bone-like material. + Studying bones in the lab The result is a strong and resilient bio-composite, which can be produced using a standard 3D printer and natural materials, and without the extreme temperatures often required for manufacturing ceramics, the researchers said. They presented this new printing method in the journal Materials Today. The end products no longer contain any living bacteria, as they are immersed in ethanol at the end of the mineralisation process. Mending marine reefs In addition to...