The head and tail fin are plastic . Two transparent plastic wings jut out at right angles . The body is a tiny slab of muscle : human , stemcell-derived cardiac cells . It swims like a fish , moving independently and randomly , powered by the same beat as a human heart . Researchers from Harvard University and Emory University , who say this is the first fully autonomous biohybrid fish , hope their research will lead to the creation of artificial hearts for children who were born with severe heart defects .
This biohybrid is part of a burgeoning scientific field known as synthetic biology , which combines engineering , design and computation with biology .
In another project , researchers at the McKelvey School of Engineering
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at Washington University in St . Louis engineered bacteria to combine polymers with titin , a muscle protein , to produce a biohybrid fiber that ’ s stronger than Kevlar . While the fibers could be used for protective armor , what ’ s more important is that they can replace tissue in injured humans . Someday , this fiber might even provide realistic “ skin ” for a robot .
In July 2022 , the team received a grant from the National Science Foundation to continue its research . The team can now take a closer look at how genetic changes to titin can produce different material traits .
Synthetic life
Combining living cells with machines is just one approach to synthetic biology , which encompasses redesigning existing organisms and creating new ones .
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY |
Human heart cells lend their pumping power to this artificial “ biohybrid ” fish that swims as the muscle cells contract . The system brings engineers closer to developing complex artificial pumps that can grow with young patients and provides a new platform for studying heart arrhythmias . |