Brain teaser: 3D-printed ‘tissue’ to help combat disease

Researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) based at the University of Wollongong have developed a 3D-printed layered structure, incorporating neural cells, that mimics the structure of brain tissue. ACES Director and ARC Australian Laureate Fellow, Professor Gordon Wallace, said that the breakthrough is significant progress in the quest to create a bench-top brain that will enable important insights into brain function, in addition to providing an experimental test bed for new drugs and electroceuticals. “We are still a long way from printing a brain but the ability to arrange cells so as they form neuronal networks is a significant step forward,” Professor Wallace said.

Media issued by the University of Wollongong.