Researchers create functioning human lung on a microchip

<div style="text-align:center"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/28/researchers-create-functioning-human-lung-on-a-microchip/"><img border="1" vspace="4" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/06/lung-on-a-chip-1.jpg" alt=""></a></div> <div style="text-align:left">Researchers at <a href="http://www.engadget.com/tag/HarvardUniversity/">Harvard University</a> have successfully created a functioning, respirating human 'lung' on a chip in a lab. Made using human and blood vessel cells and a microchip, the translucent lung is far simpler in terms of observation than traditional, actual human lungs (for obvious reasons), in a small convenient package about the size of a pencil eraser. The researchers have demonstrated its effectiveness and are now moving toward showing its ability to replicate gas exchange between lung cells and the bloodstream. Down the road a bit more, the team hopes to produce other organs on chips, and hook them all up to the already operational <a href="http://www.engadget.com/tag/heart/">heart</a> on a chip. And somewhere in the world, Margaret Atwood and her pigoons are rejoicing, right? Here's to <a href="http://www.engadget.com/tag/thefuture/">the future</a>. Video description of the device is below.</div><p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/28/researchers-create-functioning-human-lung-on-a-microchip/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Researchers create functioning human lung on a microchip</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/28/researchers-create-functioning-human-lung-on-a-microchip/">Researchers create functioning human lung on a microchip</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.engadget.com">Engadget</a> on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear:both;padding:8px 0 0 0;height:2px;font-size:1px;border:0;margin:0;padding:0"></h6><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/28/researchers-create-functioning-human-lung-on-a-microchip/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> <img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/post_label_VIA.gif" alt=""><span><a href="http://www.gizmag.com/living-lung-on-a-chip/15530/">Gizmag</a>, <a href="http://www.switched.com/2010/06/25/lung-on-a-chip-capable-of-accurately-replicating-natural-lung/">Switched</a></span>  |  <img src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/post_label_source.gif" alt="source"><span><a href="http://hms.harvard.edu/public/news/2010/062410_ingber/">Harvard University</a></span>  | <a href="http://www.engadget.com/forward/19533385/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/28/researchers-create-functioning-human-lung-on-a-microchip/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

Researchers at Harvard University have successfully created a functioning, respirating human ‘lung’ on a chip in a lab. Made using human and blood vessel cells and a microchip, the translucent lung is far simpler in terms of observation than traditional, actual human lungs (for obvious reasons), in a small convenient package about the size of a pencil eraser. The researchers have demonstrated its effectiveness and are now moving toward showing its ability to replicate gas exchange between lung cells and the bloodstream. Down the road a bit more, the team hopes to produce other organs on chips, and hook them all up to the already operational heart on a chip. And somewhere in the world, Margaret Atwood and her pigoons are rejoicing, right? Here’s to the future. Video description of the device is below.

Continue reading Researchers create functioning human lung on a microchip

Researchers create functioning human lung on a microchip originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag, Switched  |  sourceHarvard University  | Email this | Comments

Submit a comment