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Bacterial Printing Press

Posted by samzenpus on from the don't-read-this-paper dept.

juushin writes "New Scientist has reported that scientists at Harvard University have created a bacterial printing press that can be reconfigured to print complex patterns of bacteria. The technology is reported to have applications in studying biofilms, communication between bacteria (and colonies of bacteria), and the interaction of bacteria and surfaces. Of medical interest, these applications may lead to a better understanding of how to prevent bacterial infections."

5 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. Quite ingenious by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 3, Insightful

    He takes a tip from the silicon chip makers and uses the same type of technology to etch a pattern in a wafer. Then he creates a mold (like a mask, not like the stuff growing in the crotches of slashbots) which he can use repeatedly as a printing template.

    Since a lot of bacteria grow resistant to antibiotics, it makes sense to use this kind of "printing press" to study how they create their protective biofilm. As a species, we are slowly succumbing to our own success at killing off bacteria. However the rise of super-bacteria that are immune to our medicines is a huge worry. If this type of research can shine some light on why these bacteria are so resistant and how we can control them to be less dangerous to us, then we will be able to hold off our extinction for a few more years.

    1. Re:Quite ingenious by MAdMaxOr · · Score: 2, Insightful

      >> then we will be able to hold off our extinction for a few more years.

      We're not in danger of becoming extinct from bacteria resistance. We adapt too.

    2. Re:Quite ingenious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Since a lot of bacteria grow resistant to antibiotics, it makes sense to use this kind of "printing press" to study how they create their protective biofilm.

      Antibiotics resistance usually has little to do with biofilm structures, more with genetic adaptations that alter the original target of the antibiotic, making the bacteria resistant to it. When a bacterium happens to combine a series of those adaptations, it becomes multiple drug resistant, which is where the actual problem lies that we're starting to face today.

  2. old news by helfen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Stanislaw Lem predicts it about 20-30 years ago in some of his novel.

  3. Game of Life by Craig+Ringer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I can't possibly be the only one who immediately thought "game of life" ... can I?

    Too bad it'd never work - not unless you could find some REALLY weird bacteria, anyway.