Recently I have heard a few rumblings in print and podcast about Japan's Toyama University professor Makoto Nakamura. There is much interest in his research into using and inkjet printers to possibly produce human organs. Essentially the idea is instead of ink you eject cells with the technology to slowly build a 3D structure by applying layer after layer. Here is the article.Being very new to biology I find it hard to grasp just how these cells are manipulated to become specifically heart cells. This process is so incredibly complicated. I don't get how he supplies the cells with the required ingredients. This is why learning about these things is so vastly superior to reading about UFOs for example. We have such beautiful complexity within us, so why are we so taken with crop circles and aura colours and past life regressions?
When I heard about this I was reminded of a terrific book by Michael Marshall Smith in which clones are created of people who can afford it and when emergencies arise doctors have an exact copy of the patient to take what is required. Smith takes the story into some strange territories that are not so science fiction any more. It is both disturbing and morbidly fascinating. In other words a great read. It brings us neatly back to ethics in science. A subject of interest that I know Mark is keen to talk about some more.
Until next time.............
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4 comments:
This is really nice stuff
haven't read the book, cloning gets scarey doewsn't it. but i am all for stem cell research. i think if it helps those who are quads, paras, those with MS, parkinsen disease and others, then that can only be a good thing. while my back degenerates i know they wont be able to help me, but those with spinal cord damage, there is some hope.
Alexander technique is great for the back pains. I used this and it made a big difference. Walking is the key, lots of walking.
don't meantion the "w" word dan. or i will hit you. I was meant to start doing ten mins of w___ing on thursday. it was the first time since surgery that they were letting me go w___ing. I haven't been w___ing in months. so to have my hip stuff up was a big downer. so no meant of the "w" word dan.
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