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Scientists Successfully Cultivate the First Living Wood in History: Experts Speak of the End of Deforestation

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Deforestation is one of the main environmental threats contributing to climate change, as it is well known that trees are major climate regulators and absorb CO2. We present the first "living" wood made in a laboratory, which could mark the end of tree logging.

A team of scientists from MIT has created and developed an innovative method to produce wood without leaving the lab. This material can be made in any imaginable size and shape. With this invention, highly unique products can be created.

These products would have the necessary characteristics for each use. For example, it will be possible to make a table, a piece of furniture, or a bed without cutting down a single tree, yet with the appearance and texture of real wood. Another peculiarity of this product is the minimal waste left after use.

What is this material that will eliminate the need to cut down trees?
To create the wood-like material using this method, leaves from a plant called common zinnia are first taken, and their cells are extracted. These are then combined with a highly ductile gel enriched with nutrients, minerals, and hormones that refine the mixture to make it purer.

This combination allows plant cells to reproduce into others, which are then manipulated under lab conditions. This process is similar to that of the human body, which has hormones that dictate cell development and the emergence of certain distinctive traits.

Similarly, by varying the concentrations of these hormones in the nutrient medium, the plant components change in shape and size. In other words, simply manipulating these small chemicals can create drastic changes in physical appearance and attributes.

Finally, with a 3D printer fed this material, many structures can be created with great precision, such as sofas or chairs with shapes as intricate as desired. Then, it undergoes a curing process in darkness lasting three to four months, depending on the object.

During this time, the material dehydrates, resulting in an artificial wood product with all the attributes of natural wood. The best part is that not a single tree is cut down in the entire process, making it sustainable, eco-friendly, and harmless to forests.

Different material properties can be adapted for creating articles
Its creators have discovered that by adjusting certain chemicals during the material's growth, very precise control can be exerted over its mechanical characteristics, such as density, stiffness, weight, etc., making it highly versatile.

An example of this is that scientists determined that reducing hormones resulted in materials with open, rounded cells and low density. Meanwhile, higher hormone levels produced materials with smaller but much denser cells.

Thus, with this chemical control, articles can be created that are rigid and strong or others that are light and soft. Even the color can be predefined according to need. Another advantage is that it generates very little waste during and after the process.

In conclusion, this "living" wood created in the lab replaces natural wood, marking the end of deforestation, which contributes to climate change. Additionally, it produces no waste that leads to burning and CO2 release. Now, all that remains is to wait for its commercialization.

Source:econoticias.com