Chinese researchers are using cells to produce materials that have the
ability to grow, repair themselves, and respond to their surroundings. Their
findings may have potential applications in biomanufacturing and sustainable
construction.



Previous studies have been using bacterial and fungal cells to produce
engineered living materials. Recently, plant cells have gained interest due
to their usage in engineered plant living materials (EPLMs). However, the
materials based on plant cells have basic structures and limited
functionality.



To address this issue, scientists from various institutions developed
complex-shaped EPLMs that have genetically engineered plant cells, which can
be customized based on the preferred capabilities and behaviors. The team
combined tobacco cells with biocompatible hydrogel microparticles (HMPs)
with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which is a bacterium utilized for
transferring DNA segments into plant genomes.



The mixture was then 3D printed, cured with blue light, and washed with
antibiotics. After a few weeks, the tobacco plant cells grew, replicated,
and produced proteins instructed by the transferred DNA. The created red or
yellow plant pigments and green fluorescent proteins are valued as dietary
supplements and natural colorants.



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