Scientists make pig livers humanlike to address organ shortage

Plus: Discarded human hair is now being used to clean up pollutants. Jan 02, 2023 [Blueprint]( Pig-to-human organ transplantation has been a hot topic for the last few years. While scientists are pushing the boundaries of science to create new alternatives to human organ donation, some experts warn about potential risks. Now, there is a fresh development in the field. Researchers from the U.S.-based company Miromatrix are transforming pig livers to look and act like human ones. The company has ambitious plans to start the human trials of its bioengineered livers on humans sometime in 2023. Considering that David Bennett, the first human to receive a pig's heart, died two months after the transplantation last year, the safety of interspecific transplantation is still in question. Before diving deeper into the controversial topic, let’s have a look at our video of the day and gain more insight into the future of electric vehicles. Good morning. I’m Mert, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard about the people behind the largest aircraft engine in the world. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Wireless charging may be the future of electric vehicles.]( [Wireless charging.]( Is the technology ready for mass adoption? [Must Read]MUST READ [Scientists are transforming pig livers into human-like ones to address organ shortage.]( It's a widely known fact that healthcare professionals hope to transplant pig livers into humans. This process, called xenotransplantation, requires the animal liver to be [turned into a more human-like organ](. And now, a company named Miromatrix is working on accomplishing this. The company has ambitious plans for the first-of-its-kind human testing of a bioengineered organ to take place sometime in 2023. Once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the go-ahead, the initial experiment will be outside a patient's body and see a pig-turned-humanlike liver placed next to a hospital bed to temporarily filter the blood of someone whose own liver does not work. If that "liver assist" process proves successful, the next step would be attempting a bioengineered organ transplant, likely a kidney. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Discarded human hair is now being used to clean up pollutants.]( Human hair is being used by a Belgian NGO called Dung Dung to absorb environmental pollutants in an initiative referred to as the [Hair Recycle Project](. Hair clippings are collected from hairdressers across the country and fed into a machine that turns them into matted squares that can be used to absorb oil and other hydrocarbons polluting the environment. The hairy mats are then placed in drains to soak up pollution in water before it reaches a river or to deal with pollution problems due to flooding. The hair can also be transformed into bio-composite bags or used to clean up oil spills. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [A comet not seen for 50,000 years will be visible again in early 2023.]( A comet that last appeared in the night sky during the Ice Age will soon make a reappearance in February 2023, according to a [recent NASA statement](. Called the C/2022 E3 (ZTF) comet, it orbits the Sun every 50,000 years. It will now [pass within 26 million miles]( of Earth on February 1, 2023. It could also be visible to the naked eye in mid-to-late January. The comet can be seen using binoculars and low-level telescopes when the skies are clear. Anyone wishing to see the E3 comet should pick a dark spot and allow half an hour for the eyes to adjust. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [CULTURE]CULTURE [Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine can now freeze their sperm for free.]( If you go to war, you may not come back. That's why Russia is now [giving soldiers heading to Ukraine]( the chance to freeze their sperm for free, according to a [report by BBC]( published on Thursday. The outlet reported that Russian Union of Lawyers head Igor Trunov told state news agency TASS that the nation's health ministry had responded to his request for a free cryobank for soldiers at war. He added that the ministry had "determined the possibility of financial support from the federal budget for free conservation and storage of germ cells (spermatozoa) for citizens mobilized to take part in the special military operation [the term used by Russia for its war in Ukraine] for 2022-2024." [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Pig-to-human organ transplants are becoming more common. Would you accept getting a pig liver? [If I have to, yes]( [No way]( [It depends on the urgency]( [I’m not sure]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Regarding the news that NASA is considering SpaceX Dragon for rescuing stranded ISS crew, we asked on Saturday if you think SpaceX will get involved. 88 percent say yes, while 5 percent hope so. 88% If needed, yes 5% Hopefully 5% No, NASA and Russia will handle it 2% I don’t know [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY The things I want to show are mechanical. Machines have less problems. I'd like to be a machine, wouldn't you? Andy Warhol, American artist. [Christmas gifts for the dads who have everything]( [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Merach Exercise Bike]( [image]( [YZPOWER Battery Charger]( [image]( [130 EQ Newtonian Telescope]( [image]( [KuccHero Outdoor Bluetooth Camping Speaker]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - Everything you need to know about the “[Straits of Gibraltar]( - [Mindfulness]( can rival antidepressants for anxiety, study finds. (ScienceAlert) - How a 17-year-old [revolutionized the EV motor](. [premium] - New [measurements of galaxy rotation]( lean toward modified gravity as an explanation for dark matter. (Phys.org) - A novel membrane desalination approach may provide [potable water from seawater](. [premium] - We asked a NASA scientist: Are [hurricanes getting stronger]( (SciTechDaily) - Engineered cells touted to [treat the most aggressive cancers]( in the world. [premium] Prepared by Mert Erdemir Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? [Join Free!]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail preferences or unsubscribe [here](. © Copyright 2022 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 205 Hudson St New York, NY, 10013, USA [Interesting Engineering]