Duration: 1:05:01

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In this interview with the "movers and shakers in the 3D realm," we talk with Anderson Ta and Jordan Miller, researchers at Rice University, Houston TX on recent breakthroughs on the printing of vascular system and capillaries, bio-fabrication, and new processes to create bio-materials.  We will also be joined by Dr. John Bennett, (neurosurgical.tv) an advocate for the advancement medical science to talk about the how this radical processes will change the medical community.

Interview questions:

Before we get into the meat (see what I did there) of the interview, you mentioned briefly that you have a technical background and actually have a 3D printer. Can you tell us what kind and how long have you been 3D printing?

I never attended Rice University while I lived in Houston, TX. Too busy making peripherals for the Commodore Amiga*. So the question is, Rice University is known for being one of the leading research universities in the US. Can I assume you are in one of the eleven research centers, and if I were to guess it is the “Institute of Bio-sciences and Bio-engineering”? Is this correct? Can you tell us what the department does and a little history of it?

In 2007 Dr. Anthony Atala performed a TED talk about using an inkjet printer to create a kidney. I remember this and said wow, but had found that process was actually pretty incomplete. And in 2013 Xu Mingen, researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology used an actual 3D printer process to create a “mini” human kidney. The key word being mini, but still years off from a full size version.

The key point from from both of these projects is that they developed a tissue mold without the intricate fine inner structure to support a way of carrying nutrients to the organ’s layers as well as a way to remove waste. Without these, as has been shown, the lifespan is limited, and in the case of the kidney does not perform its primary function, which is to filter. What is the next step to bring these organs alive?

So if I understand correctly, you have taken off-the-shelf 3D printing technology and just replaced the hotend and extruder with micro nozzle fed with a ____ (fill in the blank)? Can you tell us what printers are being used? and the type of material being used?

What are you printing, and have you created a complete organ?

Finally, how soon before I can go into tissue/stem cell bank and make a deposit, and then when I am older or through cancer, other disease, or an accident will the be able to contact the “Cell Bank” and send them the request for an organ, that they then pull up the print slicer to generate “O Code” (“Organ Code”, get it ha,ha ha) that in a few hours (it is my scenario, I can dream right?) I will have replacement organ that matches my tissue type, meaning no organ rejection medication, no need to go through a organ waiting list. (http://listverse.com/2014/11/22/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-organ-transplantation/)


Before we go, what other applications do you see your process being used in? Is there an organization being formed like the cancer society where joint research and funding is taking place to bring together this disparate research to accelerate the process? You know something like the Genome project. Even though I am a amateur neuroscientist and AI enthusiast and appreciate the Obama initiative to map and create an artificial neural (connectomes) network that matches the human brain in complexity, maybe it might have been wiser to take that money and fund this. What do you think?