Later in the 19th century, mathematician Bernhard Riemann laid the foundations for true four-dimensional geometry, providing a mathematical framework for understanding and working with higher-dimensional spaces. While it's challenging to visualize in our three-dimensional world, mathematicians use diagrams and models to help convey the idea of a tesseract. It is an extension of the concept of a cube (a 3D object) into the fourth dimension. The tesseract, also known as a hypercube, is a common visual representation of 4D space. ![]() One of the intriguing aspects of the fourth dimension is that in it, a three-dimensional object could be rotated in such a way that it would appear as its own mirror image, a concept that challenges our intuitive understanding of space. August Ferdinand Möbius was among those who pondered the possibilities of this additional dimension. In the early 19th century, mathematicians and thinkers began to explore the idea of a fourth spatial dimension beyond our familiar three dimensions (depth, width and height). Thus, traveling to the past has been deemed near-impossible, though some researchers still hold out hope for finding wormholes that connect to different sections of space-time. While we can move in any direction in our 3D world, we can only move forward in time. Researchers have used Einstein's ideas to determine whether we can travel through time. UIC's Oju Jeon, David Cleveland, Kaelyn Gasvoda, Derrick Wells and Sang Jin Lee are co-authors of the paper.Today, some physicists describe the fourth dimension as any space that's perpendicular to a cube - the problem being that most of us can't visualize something that is perpendicular to a cube. "We are endeavoring to translate this system into clinical applications of tissue engineering, as there is a critical shortage of available donor tissues and organs." "This is the first system that meets the demanding requirements of bioprinting 4D constructs: Load living cells in bioinks, enable printing of large complex structures, trigger shape transformation under physiological conditions, support long-term cell viability and facilitate desired cell functions such as tissue regeneration," said Aixiang Ding, postdoctoral research associate at UIC and the first author of the paper. ![]() "Another key achievement was engineering a system that enables fabrication of bioconstructs capable of undergoing complicated 3D-to-3D shape transformations." With this system, cartilage-like tissues with complex shapes that evolve over time could be bioengineered," Alsberg said. The printed bioconstructs, after further stabilization by light-based crosslinking, remain intact while-for example-bending, twisting or undergoing any number of multiple deformations. "The bioinks have what are called shear-thinning and rapid self-healing properties that enable smooth extrusion-based printing with high resolution and high fidelity without a supporting bath. These cell-rich structures with pre-programmable and controllable shape morphing promise to better mimic the body's natural developmental processes and could help scientists conduct more accurate studies of tissue morphogenesis and achieve greater advances in tissue engineering," said study corresponding author Eben Alsberg, Richard and Loan Hill Chair, who has appointments in the departments of biomedical engineering, mechanical and industrial engineering, pharmacology and regenerative medicine, and orthopedics.Īlsberg says the bioink advances previous technologies in several ways. ![]() "This bioink system provides the opportunity to print bioconstructs capable of achieving more sophisticated architectural changes over time than was previously possible. Further designs demonstrate complex, multiple 3D-to-3D shape transformations in bioconstructs fabricated in a single printing. Their experiments resulted in a variety of complex bioconstructs with well-defined configurations and high cell viability, including a 4D cartilage-like tissue formation. Titled "Jammed Micro-Flake Hydrogel for Four-Dimensional Living Cell Bioprinting," the study is authored by engineers at the University of Illinois Chicago who created the bioink and conducted experiments of prototype hydrogels. ![]() This new system enables the production of cell-rich bioconstructs that can change shape under physiological conditions. Bioprinting 4D constructs provides opportunities for scientists to better mimic the shape changes that occur during the development, healing and normal function of real tissues and fabricate complex structures.Ī new study in the science journal Advanced Materials describes the development of a new cell-laden bioink, comprised of tightly-packed, flake-shaped microgels and living cells, for bioprinting 4D constructs.
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