Since it was patented in 1958, the LEGO block design has become popular to children and adults alike. Due to the versatile nature of its design, LEGO allows a person to use their imagination in creating various kinds of structures.Just recently, the construction toy inspired a scientist in developing an unusual version of the human body.
A 'Living Being' That Is Not Alive
Developing a human body that can work like a biological LEGO system has been the vision of biologist Cornelis Vlasman and he has made it possible in his clickable mode of interchanging human organs.
Vlasman conducted a fictional experiment where he created OSCAR, an organic living being made from his own cells. It seems to work like an ordinary human organ, albeit it functions with the aid of technology. Aside from being a pocket-sized human system, what makes OSCAR more interesting is its fully electric module which allows the organs to work like LEGO bricks as they make unique patterns.
In 2016, Vlasman presented the world's first organic modular body which is literally a biological body devoid of life. It features a brain module which immediately demonstrated interaction after being connected to a lung module. Vlasman then added a kidney module and attached two different limb modules to prompt the organism to move.
The human-sized prototype contains blood stream and nerve signals which are transmitted throughout the connectors. This technology transforms the human body from a closed system to an open-source system.
According to Vlasman, his invention can be applied when there is a need to replace a diseased organ. In this technology, worn out organs can be upgraded in just few clicks. He also suggests that the modular body can be upgraded with an extra limb if the need arises. The biologist is confident that the prototype can be altered and adapted to various kinds of situations.
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What Is a Modular Body?
In a modular system, a specific part of the body is made of independent modules which are similar to the building blocks of LEGO. These blocks establish a transformable and changeable body arrangement. The modular body can be made of segments or modules for organs such as brain, lung, heart, and kidney.
To make the modular life a reality, it will rely on stem cells which will be reprogrammed and cultivated to produce printed human tissue. It highlights the interaction between technology and the biological body. In the case of OSCAR, the modules need the signals from an electric brain in order for it to operate.
There are other research studies in biotechnology which focuses on the potential of printed organs, tissue regeneration, and synthetic blood. For instance, biotech company Organovo designed an implantable 3D bioprinted human liver tissue as a solution to the shortage of donor organs needed for novel treatments. It uses the technology where multiple cell types are assembled together with growth elements and biomaterials layer by layer to create bioartificial organs that can easily imitate their natural counterparts.
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