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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

University of Twente researchers [utwente.nl] have developed a method of incorporating bacteria into man-made materials, published in the journal ACS Nano [acs.org]:

Scientists from the University of Twente's MESA+ research institute have developed a method for naturally incorporating living cells in materials, while fully preserving all properties. They succeeded in changing bacteria in such a way that they can be incorporated in man-made materials with dynamic weak bonds (non-covalent bonds). This new method opens the way for 'living implants', such as stents on which cells from the lining of blood vessels can attach themselves. The research was published in the leading scientific journal ACS Nano.

[...] The researchers succeeded in changing the DNA of the E coli bacteria in such a way that the substance CB[8] (a small molecule of two nanometres in size with a namederived from the resemblance of this molecule with a pumpkin of the family of Cucurbitaceae) attaches to a protein on the cell membrane. This substance may then again attach to other building blocks, forming a sort of natural Velcro.

Found on KurzweilAI.net [kurzweilai.net].

Original Submission