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3D Bio-printing Technology
– Can It Make Our Lives Better?

Kang Sun-ae

According to the developers of 3D printing technology, this new technique is being applied in
various fields such as biology, chemistry, and physics. Lately, researchers have printed livers,
hearts, and blood vessels as well as living tattoos that can identify a person’s physical condition
using this 3D printing technology. Let’s look at the bio-printing technology that is directly
connected to our future lives.

What if the tattoos moved as if they were alive?

This study was published on December 5th, 2017

in the Journal of Advanced Materials. According

to this study, researchers at MIT succeeded

in creating a living tattoo using ink containing

living bacteria1) cells. Bacteria have a high level of

environmental detectability2) that typical sensors

Picture1 - Living Tattoo do not, so they are excellent at responding to

specific stimuli. Furthermore, bacteria themselves

can function like a circuit3), helping to create this living tattoo. MIT researchers printed a 3D, tree-shaped

tattoo using this ink, and it is expected to help treat chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes

because it can detect temperature and pH4) changes.

New technology has been developed to prevent the deaths of many people from cancer or repair the
damage to important body parts such as the hands or the cornea5) in events like car accidents. Using bio-

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1) bacteria : 지구 환경 어디에서나 살고 있는 매우 작고 가장 많이 번성한 아주 작은 단세포 생물
2) detectability : 탐지가능성
3) circuit : 전기 회로
4) pH : 물의 산성이나 염기성의 정도를 나타내는 수치

42 MYEONG-SHIN GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL