3D Printing News
Note: we are now including articles on plant-based foods in the field of vegan nutrition.

Researchers in Turkey have used 3D printing to recreate animals that existed almost 8 million years ago. Fossils found near the Yamula Dam in Kayseri are being reconstituted for the 2026 opening of the Kayseri Paleontology Museum. Ancient giants like saber-toothed cats and 3-toed horses will be shown to the public. Fragments unearthed are being 3D scannned and identified, with the missing parts digitally designed.

If you have been following the growth of 3D printed shoes, you will want to see The Lore Three Performance Series. The cycle shoes are fitted to your exact foot shape and pedal stroke. They are based on a unique strap method along with lots of abrasion paneling, so that there are no dials to break. Either of two versions will set you back roughly $2,000. USD

Engineers at North Carolina University have made paper-thin origami-styled magnetic muscles that can deliver medications inside the body. In theory, the medicine starts out as a small object which then unfolds its entire surface area.

3D printing is being used to transform Vietnamese silk lanterns into colorful ceramics. The results are described as part vessel, part sculpture. Jolie Ngo erases boundaries between categories in creating cross-definition pieces, delghtfully combining cultural references with new technology.

Mixed-media artist NeSpoon has used lace to embellish the exteriors of buildings and walls in unexpected ways. Ceramic street art is a rare form of public installation, which she describes as "a transformation of shared spaces". She tells us that institutions provide opportunities while the street gives her freedom.

Engineers at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have devised a method to turn hydrogels into high-performance ceramics and metals. Rather than hardening a resin already mixed with chemical compounds, they first 3D print a framework using a water-based gel, or hydrogel. They then soak this structure in metal salts. The salts are chemically converted into very small metal-containing nanoparticles that spread throughout the gel. Repeating this process multiple times results in composites with high metal content. Eventually the hydrogel is removed, leaving a strong metal or ceramic object. The method is inexpensive and appears to produce materials that can withstand 20 times more pressure with greatly reduced shrinkage.

China has opened up the world's first 3D printing retail store. The space is filled with dozens of 3D printed objects, like Christmas trees, table tennis paddles, and footwear. Located in a busy shopping mall, the store features everyday items meant to bring the public into the world of 3D printing.

Expectations are high for the use of 3D printing in space. In particular, low-orbit space is seen as a magnet for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. American companies have already printed cardiac-like tissues on the International Space Station (ISS), with the goal of 3D printing entire organs for transplants. The knowledge that stem-cells age more quickly and build up more DNA damage in space is promoting experiments in age-related conditions like Alzheimer's and some cancers, including the finding that cosmic radiation can promote faster growth of cancer cells. Compounds in space appear to create more uniform crystals, which grow larger and with fewer defects. NASA also hopes to share its findings with commercial companies.

A Canadian car aficionado has 3D printed a Bugatti supercar in his garage. Each section of the car was printed separately and then bonded together with industrial-strength adhesives. Fiberglass was used to reinforce the body. Other 3D printed luxury cars have been attempted, like a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, a Lamboghini Huracan, and a full-sized Lightning McQueen.

(Note that our 3D printed sculpture "Alien Incoming", fabricated in 2015, required 18 separate parts which then had to be expertly post-processed for a smooth finish. It was also the first life-sized 3D printed sculpture ever made.)

It appears (for the moment anyway) that Medicare will cover reimbursements for 3D printed prosthetic arms or legs as long as they meet certain requirements. The decision has been hailed as a landmark for manufacturers, insurers, and patients. It also encourages innovation across the entire health-care field, with the hope of integrating advanced technology into standard patient care.

Many companies are using high-tech and confusing language to disguise the fact that plastics are part of their product or their process, especially in the food industry. Buyer beware. Demand an easy-to-understand explanation before you eat or buy.

We review many hundreds of articles each month, culling the most significant for you. We also welcome suggestions from our viewers for products and processes that we may have missed.

c.Corinne Whitaker 2025