![]() ![]() ![]() 3D reconstruction from confocal images of 3D-printed droplets arranged in a hexagonal close-packed lattice. In our new paper “ Controlled packing and single-droplet resolution of 3D-printed functional synthetic tissues” in Nature Communications we explore the driving forces that dictate the regular tessellation of cell-like compartments in synthetic tissue mimics generated by 3D-printing. 10 A main limitation is the inability to assemble constructs of desired cellular composition and architectures in a controllable and reliable way. In recent years, advancements in building single cell-like structures have demonstrated promising results, 9 but current research developing and studying synthetic multicellular systems is sparse. 7 In multicellular organisms, sophisticated functions emerge from the coordinated interactions of specialised cells organised in specific architectures and patterns. In biological systems, the tessellation of cells within tissues is strongly linked to the evolution of multicellularity. Atoms and molecules tightly pack in dense crystal structures, 4 living cells tessellate within tissues, 5 and bees laboriously shape wax into hexagonal combs to efficiently store honey and pollen. In Nature, tessellations and repeated patterns are ubiquitous and found at a vast range of length scales. Since our early origins on this planet, we have decorated our surroundings with regular motifs and patterns, from the clay tilings in Sumerian temples 1 to modern day architecture 2 and interior design. Tessellation, or the filling of space with repeating geometric patterns, has fascinated humans for millennia. ![]()
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