New 3-D printed materials harness the power of bacteria

Items made with ‘living ink’ could make medical supplies or clean contaminated water

3-D printed doll's face

IT’S ALIVE  Living bacteria can give 3-D printed materials special powers, such as producing form-fitting wound dressings. Here, such a material is printed on a doll’s face and stained to fluoresce blue.

Manuel Schaffner and Patrick A. Rühs

A new type of 3-D printing ink has a special ingredient: live bacteria.