Printable body parts.

There is a new technique being developed that allows different tissues and organs to be printed out. This technique uses printers similar to those found in an office, but have been slightly modified. The biggest modification is instead of ink the printer uses a bio-ink which is made up from components of natural tissue matrix and living cells or gelatin. They have modified the gelatin to stay in liquid form until exposed to heat (37 C) and UV light at which point they can manipulate it to have the same characteristics as the tissue they desire.

The biggest problem as of now is that they can not produce vascularized tissue. The researchers are working with another company to produce blood vessels to incorporate into the tissues so that they can make full organs that can receive nutrients from blood. My question would be: If they could ever produce a fully functioning organ and you needed a transplant, would you want a printed one or an organ from a person?

Article:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131024102038.htm

The Cyborg Swarm

Researchers at North Carolina State University have began using swarms of insect cyborgs they are calling "biobots" to map out locations where information of the layout is unknown (like in a building that has collapsed). These biobots are released into the unknown environment and allowed to spread out. Once spread out from one another using sensors attached to them, the researchers can control the insects and after awhile their movement can reveal the previously unknown building layout. The researchers have also said that the sensors attached to the biobots can detect any radioactive or chemical threats that may be present. This kind of mapping and detection can help find chemical threats in hard to reach locations, while keeping people at a safe distance.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131016112708.htm

The immune response.

We all know the basics of how our immune system works. When a foreign body like a virus is detected, and has been encountered before a series of events take place by our innate immune response that can destroy the virus before we can become sick. Well like in mammals plants and invertebrates have a similar system called RNA interface (RNAi). It has been known that mammals posses the RNAi as well, but it was thought not to be involved in the mammalian immune system. It turns out that is not true. Researchers have discovered that RNAi does in fact play a role in the mammalian immune response. Through their research it was shown that RNAi was important at keeping viruses at bay. My question is, if RNAi was not in the innate immune response would it still work, or would the whole system fall apart without it?

article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131010142754.htm  

Put a stop to the sneezing.

This article caught my eye seeing how not to long ago in class we were talking about allergies. Researchers have found two new drugs that could help people who struggle with the two of the most popular allergies, dust mites and grasses. The treatment being used is called "synthetic peptide immune-regulatory epitopes" or SPIREs. Right now the treatment is in its second stage of clinical trails and is showing promise. If this new treatment proves to help keep people from suffering from allergies many people would be able to live a lot more comfortably. When I was younger I suffered from allergies (dust mites to be exact) and I know I would have loved to have a treatment like this to stop the constant sneezing and itchy eyes.
Article:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131003111117.htm