Printable Human Skin by Scientists
A view of lab-made human skin, made from skin cells and collagen, at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Credits: Reuters
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Printable Human Skin by Scientists

According to a team of Singapore scientists, a piece of skin about the size of a thumbnail can be printed in less than a minute. The group termed this as a ‘game-changing step.’

This technology would be helpful for the future of non-animal testing for cosmetics and other products.

John Koh, lab manager at start-up DeNova Sciences, highlighted that the ‘printable skin’ is made up of skin cells from donors and collagen. It has the same properties as human skin.

DeNova Sciences is collaborating with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University to develop the in-vitro skin.

Printable Human Skin by Scientists- How Will It Help The Industry?

Koh added that the industry is moving towards animal-free testing. This product from Singapore scientists will offer a solution to trial on the skin without using animal or human skin.

Printable Human Skin by Scientists
A scientist holds a container of lab-made human skin. Credits: Reuters

Printable Human Skin by Scientists- The Way Forward

The team at DeNovo Sciences has escalated the manufacturing process with the help of a printing machine to put in patterned layers accurately that mimic human skin. Each tiny piece of skin takes less than 60 seconds to print. This is the unique quality of this project by Singapore scientists.

The mixture is then incubated for about two weeks. Meanwhile, the skin cells multiply and gain opacity, turning into a white membrane.

The printable skin can be used to test the toxicity as well as the irritation potential of a chemical substance, and the penetrative qualities of active ingredients in products like cosmetics.

The team of researchers is now focusing on developing skin that includes Asian pigment to test the whitening effects of cosmetics & skincare products.

Rahul Mishra is a Science enthusiast and eager to learn something new each day. He has a degree in Microbiology and has joined forces with Biotecnika in 2019 due to his passion for writing and science.