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Humanity is cutting down trees—and we and nature burn them—faster than we’re replacing them and we’re going to need those trees more than ever to make oxygen for the growing number of people on the planet.
Still, we’re going to want wood to frame houses, make elegant cutting boards, and all those other things we like wood for.
To resolve the dilemma, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have figured out not only how to grow wood in the lab, but also how to 3D-print it into specific shapes.
To prove the concept, the scientists cultured cells from zinnia leaves in a bath of nutrients and plant hormones until the mixture turned into a gel.
They then 3D-printed the gel into a specific shape and dried it out.
The group found that by varying the level of hormones in the gel, they could adjust the density of the “wood” they printed, making it softer like pine or harder like rock maple.
Next, the team will move from proof-of-concept zinnia leaves to plant stock that can deliver harder substances that behave more like actual wood.
TRENDPOST: Initially, lab-grown wood could see simple uses, such as dowels or small components in larger structures. As the technology develops and becomes cost-effective, scientists could be printing dining room sets for future families.
Like lab-grown meat, lab-grown wood also could relieve another hard use that land is put to and leave more trees in place as a vital contributor to the air we breathe.