Iced Tree

In winter we might see frosted branches or icy fingers creeping down windowpanes. But now scientists are mimicking these natural patterns to 'grow' complex structures in a cold corner of the lab. This modified form of 3D printing involves raining water down onto a stage cooled to -35°C. The water freezes instantly – drop by drop the trees grow, each 'branch' designed by the speed of the drips and the movement of the stage. These tiny works of ice could serve as templates for reverse moulding – pouring resin around the ice and then simply letting it melt away – to make intricate microfluidic devices, or perhaps to arrange living cells. After all, as the authors say, “it doesn’t get any more biocompatible than water”. Might it even be possible to use the temporary structures as melting devices to deliver drugs? Or perhaps some very festive ice sculptures.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by Akash Garg and colleagues, and published on the cover of Advanced Science
• Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Material Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Advanced Science, September 2022