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what if they just didn't break at all under strain

Toughness is a major plus for hydrogels

, created the gel from two polymers: alginate and polyacrylamide

The ionic bonds of the alginate molecules break and reform under pressure, spreading the energy of an impact over a wider area

protects the covalent bonds in the polyacrylamide molecules, which hold the gel together

A hydrogel as tough as rubber that can stretch 20 times its normal length

Previously, researchers have suggested some strategies

That typically happens between a 2D sheet of electronics and a surface of the tissue

our work suggests a new approach—to build and grow the biology up with the electronics synergistically and in a 3D interwoven format

Last year, a research effort

resulted in the development of a "tattoo" made up of a biological sensor and antenna that can be affixed to the surface of a tooth

This project, however, is the team's first effort to create a fully functional organ: one that not only replicates a human ability, but extends it using embedded electronics

Creating organs using 3D printers is a recent advance; several groups have reported using the technology for this purpose in the past few months

this is the first time that researchers have demonstrated that 3D printing is a convenient strategy to interweave tissue with electronics

Ear reconstruction "remains one of the most difficult problems in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery

the team turned to a manufacturing approach called 3D printing

The finished ear consists of a coiled antenna inside a cartilage structure

Two wires lead from the base of the ear and wind around a helical "cochlea" – the part of the ear that senses sound – which can connect to electrodes

further work and extensive testing would need to be done before the technology could be used on a patient

the ear in principle could be used to restore or enhance human hearing.

electrical signals produced by the ear could be connected to a patient's nerve endings, similar to a hearing aid

The current system receives radio waves, but he said the research team plans to incorporate other materials, such as pressure-sensitive electronic sensors, to enable the ear to register acoustic sounds

researchers used an ordinary 3D printer to combine a matrix of hydrogel and calf cells with silver nanoparticles that form an antenna. The calf cells later develop into cartilage