Now we can 3D print as much wood as we want without cutting down a single tree | Jobs Vox

By varying the concentration of these hormones, researchers can control the hardness, strength, density, and various other physical and mechanical properties of plants grown in the lab.

Highlighting the importance of their research work, the authors wrote in their paper, “(Our) recent work proposed a novel approach to generate 3D-printed, tunable plant materials from cell cultures, in which Has the potential to reduce waste, increase yields and production rates, and reduce environmental disruption because cultures are produced from a non-sacrificed plant sample rather than from whole plants.

it’s just a humble beginning

After completing her research work at MIT, lead author Ashley Beckwith founded a company called FORAY Bioscience to develop new technologies and methods for growing wood without cutting down trees. The current approach which involves growing plants from normal zinnia cells is a first step in this direction.

It is also the first method of its kind that uses tissue engineering to produce plant matter in the lab. So far, scientists have used this method only for animal cell culture.

“Similar concepts have not been translated into the plant culture space, particularly with regard to materials production. Thus this work represents a first look at a cellular agriculture approach to plant material production,” the researchers said in their study. Noted.