Biomedical 3d printing - growing architecture ideas

http://www.wtec.org/additive/report/06-Biomedical.pdf

Found this article on the current applications and goals of 3d printing technology using biomedical material. Could be interesting in conjunction with Kevin's algae post below, and the idea of growing and moving architecture, along with this idea of taste as a connection between us, our architecture and the community we choose to surround ourselves in.

The article mentions 5 key goals of the research being conducted:
1. build complex shapes matching human anatomy
2. build complex, porous microstructures from biocompatible materials
3. build with living cells, genes, and proteins

4. build multiple, biocompatible materials and cells/genes/proteins together and separately on the same
platform
5. build at resolutions below 10 microns over structures greater than 1cm in size

The requirements of which would "...range from external devices that contact the human body (architecture?), to permanent surgical implants to degradeable tissue engineering scaffolds that deliver cells, genes and proteins to regenerate tissues."

This essentially could be used to provide protection, eg some kind of external device connected with the body that forms some kind of "architecture" it could in theory deliver bio material such as algae to feed and sustain the body while it lives in the virtual, and to 'regenerate tissues' it could potentially heal the body in place of conventional medical treatment.

The most interesting thought that came to mind was that as the material is essentially a living organism it could be trained to live and adapt with the body and change as is needed. ie: Could it become a vehicle for moving us in the physical? Could it adapt to protect different elements of our physical bodies as is required? Could it adapt/merge with another's architecture to accomodate partnership in the physical world?

My other thought was somthing that the Kardia group looked at a few years ago, that there was possibility for a person's body to have different elements physically and virtually conscious at the same time. Our mind would really be the only asset needed to be virtually conscious, but could the rest of our body be physically conscious in terms of communicating with this adaptable architecture to gain required nutrients, or to transport us to physical environments we desire to move between in the virtual?

No idea if this is the direction the rest of the group has been heading in but thought there was some interesting potential here. Group meeting after prof prac maybe? We need to start considering the holistic presentation we will be making on all of this thinking on monday, also potentially need to come up with a group name or identity?