Scientists create living tissues capable of changing shape in a programmed manner
Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering for Catalonia (IBEC), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia – BarcelonaTech (UPC) and the International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) have developed a new strategy for ‘programming’ the shape of biological tissues in vitro. The study, published in the journal Science, is the first to demonstrate that it is possible to guide the forces and final shape of living tissue by controlling the orientation of its cells. The research opens the door to new applications in tissue engineering, biohybrid robotics, and the design of smart living materials.