Nicole Black is a bioengineer at Harvard University and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Nicole uses 3D printing to create custom medical devices. She is working on a 3D printed artificial eardrum to best capture sound. Biomaterials include polymers (plastics), hydrogels (wet, squishy gels), and ceramics (hard minerals). These can be mixed together to create 'inks' that allow complicated shapes to be 3D printed. Cells and proteins make up your body's natural tissues. These can be mixed into the inks to help your wounds heal even faster! Every tissue and organ in your body has a unique set of mechanical and biological properties. Thus, engineering them requires a wide variety of skills!
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