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Using a cellulose frame to provide implantable structure
OK, I'll give the quick and dirty thought process here. I appreciate all feedback!
So, Pelling Labs have been successful in the use of connective scaffolding from both ear shaped apple slices and a pig heart to use as a foundation on which to grow human cells. In addition to that, the steps taken with controlling Kombucha Scoby structure has advanced enough to where a 3d printed shape (in certain organic filaments) will be overtaken by the culture. This all works together to possibly custom fabricate skin cells to in turn implant.
I have no idea what the use of extra skin cells would be in a healthy person, but I can see the use of bone, Stem and muscle cells. Potentially using the structures could allow a more likely acceptance of a large implant?
I would need to spend MUCH more time researching, so I'll update this eventually. The primary use that I can see is in bodymod. I am not personally interested in cosmetic body mods, but I know many others here are.
A couple of links:
https://makezine.com/2017/03/15/biohacking-pioneers/
Comments
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Totally! Zwytech and I have spent the last year working on something similar. A new addition to the community Frazier just joined up and we've been doing a shit ton of cellulose and kombucha research. In fact the big thing holding us back is that a bunch of equipment failed. Lol. Ive spent a month working to replace a water heater, well pump, sink, washer machine, stove top and more. Sure, they aren't essential to the project. But they are too me living here. Zwyrech and I have gotten as far as a test implant although until we put in the next version we're not going to talk about it much.
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@Moonman0922 In regards to the ear apple project, that's what we call an extracellular matrix (ECM), the same way that one can make a ghost heart as a scaffold to seed a new heart with stem cells for implant. Consider it a ghost apple. The cool thing is that you can make ghost anything and then seed cells on it. Since I have mammalian cells at my lab @chironex and I are working on making a meat berry, basically a berry framework that has been reseeded with muscle cells.
The useful part of the kombucha scoby is called bacterial nanocellulose. So, cellulose fibers that are spun out by bacteria as they feed on the sweet tea that kombucha is made of. When properly cleaned, it's basically all the same thing.
I did a lot of work making sheets of kombucha and then turning them into fabrics. Then someone saw some of those videos and figured, hey, since its cellulose, instead of painstakingly growing a sheet, you can just grow a big lump, blend it, and then make it into sheets like paper. Which was very smart.
Finally, if you look up ECM, you'll see a lot of papers about using it to heal wounds and repair damage in fantastic ways. They make the lab grade stuff from pig bladders. However, I found some papers where they make it from porcine muscle, fancy words for pork chops. You do the ghost protocol on it and then you lyophilize it and then you blend it into tiny flakes.
Oh, and then there is chiotsan. Too much functionality to go into here. It's human usable insect shell, basically. I have about 100 samples of various matrix states that we've made here.
@Cassox I was going to bring you some ECM I made to the conference so you could play around with it later. That cool?
Also, I remember now that someone at Grindfest had been talking about chito stuff. Whoever that is, if you see this, hmu. We're actually making a solid brick to send to SpaceX to see if they are interested in it as a material. We made a version that's basically fire proof. That and the foam and the giant sheets of shell.
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Sweet. Totally. Yeah, I was playing around with something similar. Cellulase enzymes make it a breeze to turn into goo. I've then cross linked them back into sheets. Not nearly as strong of course. But they're pretty. They look like how csf fluid dries on paper after someone has a big head injury.
You're probably thinking of zwytech. He's already done a ton of cool work with peptides/proteins like collagen w HA and chitin. The reason im focusing on cellulose right now is that im looking at bio durable materials. I'm hoping to make a kind of triacetate layer thing which is in turn bound to HA and whatever. Hit me up at BDYHAX.
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What's cool is that I guess triacetate melts.. I won't have the it..the materials I need until next week but you should be able mix and blend it.. and without the toxicity needed for rayon.. cause fuck that.
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Have you already looked into washi paper making techniques. Physical application of materials is so crucial in material science stuff The process itself creates a really durable paper.
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That's funny. A dude im working with is doing the Kraft method to start. I'll look into it.
