In a truly remarkable scientific leap, researchers have successfully 3D printed microscopic structures, including a tiny elephant and barcodes, directly inside living human cells. This groundbreaking achievement, detailed in a preprint paper, opens up exciting new avenues for cellular research, diagnostics, and potentially future medical applications.
The Ingenious Method: Two-Photon Polymerization
The team employed a sophisticated technique called two-photon polymerization. It involves injecting a liquid photoresist into living cells. This method allows for incredibly detailed features, reportedly as small as 100 nanometers.
Beyond the Elephant: Barcodes for Cellular Tracking
While a microscopic elephant is certainly eye-catching, it serves as a powerful demonstration of the technology’s precision. More critically, the barcodes represent a significant practical application. These unique, tiny patterns can act as internal labels, enabling scientists to track individual cells, identify cell lineages, and study how the presence of these internal structures influences cell function or disease progression. Some experiments also included spherical microlasers that emit distinct light signatures for cell labeling.
Far-Reaching Implications
This breakthrough holds immense promise for various fields. It offers a novel way to study cell mechanics and isolate organelles for functional analysis, advancing cellular research. For bioengineering, it paves the way for creating custom tools directly inside cells, like mechanical levers. The ability to understand how cells react to internal structures could lead to new insights for drug discovery and personalized medicine, potentially enabling internal “drug delivery devices.” Furthermore, by creating more realistic 3D cell models, this technology could reduce the reliance on animal testing.
