Making a better artificial intestine
Friday, April 22, 2011 - 21:00
in Biology & Nature
Scientist have figured out how to re-create the finger-like projections in the human intestine. Right now, it's just for lab purposes, but perhaps someday it'll be used in humans too.Scientists have long grown cells in flat dishes, which is handy if you're studying flat tissues. But organs have bulges and ridges and other shapes, and growing cells to mimic that geometry has been a challenge. Now, researchers have come up with a simple way to raise cells in tall, thin columns that better re-create the natural structure of the human intestine.