# 81. Printing Functional Hearts & Reverse Engineering Microbes

- Show: [The Next Byte Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast)
- Published: 2022-08-02
- Length: 29m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-08-02-81-printing-functional-hearts-reverse-engineering-microbes
- Listen: https://the-next-byte-wevolver.simplecast.com/episodes/81-printing-functional-hearts-reverse-engineering-microbes-KOmbOfpx

## Summary

Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss two major engineering breakthroughs: using machine learning to reverse-engineer gut microbiome interactions for targeted medicine, and Professor Kit Parker’s team at Harvard using focused rotary jet spinning (FRJS) to fabricate functional, helically-aligned heart tissue scaffolds. They explore how ML models correlate microbial colonies with health-impacting metabolites and how FRJS overcomes the speed limitations of 3D printing to create programmable micro-scale structures for biofabrication.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-08-02-81-printing-functional-hearts-reverse-engineering-microbes#t=0) Introduction: Reverse Engineering the Human Body
- [1:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-08-02-81-printing-functional-hearts-reverse-engineering-microbes#t=89) Machine Learning and the Gut Microbiome
- [6:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-08-02-81-printing-functional-hearts-reverse-engineering-microbes#t=383) Optimizing Microbial Colonies for Medicine
- [15:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-08-02-81-printing-functional-hearts-reverse-engineering-microbes#t=942) Organ Biofabrication and Heart Disease
- [22:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-08-02-81-printing-functional-hearts-reverse-engineering-microbes#t=1351) Focused Rotary Jet Spinning (FRJS) Technology
- [27:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-08-02-81-printing-functional-hearts-reverse-engineering-microbes#t=1671) Proving the Helical Structure Hypothesis

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- University of Michigan (company)
- University of Wisconsin Madison (company)
- Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (company)
- Carnegie Mellon (company)
- Wevolver (company)

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- [Ep 191: Researchers Parse Starlink, Switches Sense Muscles, and LFT Plays the Commodordion](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2022-10-28-ep-191-researchers-parse-starlink-switches-sense-muscles-and-lft-plays-the-commo) (Hackaday Podcast)
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## Citing this page

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