Scientists 3-D printed a tiny elephant inside a cell

The elephant is among the first structures ever printed inside living cells

Cells appear as splotches in varying shades of blue.

Scientists 3-D printed microstructures, formed with the use of a laser, within human cells (shown).

HeitiPaves/iStock/Getty Images Plus

A tiny elephant establishes a new stomping ground for 3-D printing: inside cells.

For the first time, scientists have 3-D printed objects within living cells, including a 10-micrometer long elephant and tiny “barcodes” that could help track individual cells.