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Copy that!
As far back as 2003 boffins were using modified ink jet printers to ‘print’ patterns of
long chain molecule artificial human skin. Since then of course they’ve started
growing whole organs in the lab. I was actually looking forward to them combining
all this technology and creating a sort of photo-copier version. One where you could
shove a photo of Jennifer Aniston in one end and get your own personal life size copy
out the other. Knowing my luck though I’d run out of ‘Light Magenta’ and she’d
come out all green. In other words, ‘nice skin, good shape and which fits very well
but wrong colour’!
Anyway, I digress, this week news reaches us that researchers have produced the world's first ‘chimeric’ monkeys. By splitting and re-combining embryos from various doners. The word chimeric itself comes from chimera, ‘an imaginary monster made up of grotesquely disparate parts’. Nothing at all like Jennifer Aniston then. Sorry, my mind was wandering again. Anyway, why is any of this important? Well it all revolves around Stem Cell research and everyone has heard of that, even if most aren’t too sure what it’s all about.
Basically by combining all the topics described above (maybe excluding Jennifer
Aniston which is a shame but never mind, one can’t have everything) then the doors
are open for all sorts of groundbreaking medical benefits. Particularly in the areas of
replacing damaged organs and other bits and pieces, such as new limbs for amputees.
Even replacing broken hearts like mine.
Maybe they could even take sympathy and clone Jennifer Anistons for sad, lonely old sods like me. In the latter case though and unlike the 'pattern' they’d perhaps have to grow one for me without too much of a brain. Otherwise she might go off me. Like all her predecessors did. Anyway boffins, just make sure you don’t run out of Light Magenta if you will please.
I've finished at the photocopier now.
For the day anyway.
