A fake eye that sheds fake tears could replace animal testing
Is that supposed to be an eye? Yes, and the researchers who made this biomechanical version (which contains human cells) say it might eventually replace animals for testing.
Engineering feat: Creating an artificial eye isn’t easy; it turns out to be a pretty complex organ. This one has a sheet of real human corneal cells as well as a clear membrane called the conjunctiva.
It blinks? It does. The researchers created an ersatz eyelid that opens and closes, to mimic wear and tear. The eyelid is made of soft hydrogels and is controlled by a tiny electromechanical motor.
Not to worry, though—the gadget can’t see or perceive anything. It merely mimics the surface of the eye, say the bioengineers at the University of Pennsylvania who made it.
Fake tears: The researchers prefer to call them “contrived tears.” Whatever the name, they needed to add lubrication to make their version true to life. They say they used their gadget to test dry-eye drugs.
You can read more in the report about the device by Dongeun Huh and colleagues in Nature Medicine.
Deep Dive
Biotechnology and health
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
An AI-driven “factory of drugs” claims to have hit a big milestone
Insilico is part of a wave of companies betting on AI as the "next amazing revolution" in biology
The quest to legitimize longevity medicine
Longevity clinics offer a mix of services that largely cater to the wealthy. Now there’s a push to establish their work as a credible medical field.
There is a new most expensive drug in the world. Price tag: $4.25 million
But will the latest gene therapy suffer the curse of the costliest drug?
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.