A robot containing 3D models of female reproductive organs has had its first menstrual cycle. Developed by scientists from Northwestern University Medicine, the miniature machine was built using human tissues. The incredibly chilling scientific feat signals the first step to making robots with biochemistry that is similar to humans.
Dubbed the EVATAR, the robot built in a book-sized portable box is laced with human cells to recreate the female reproductive system. Included are the vagina, cervix, fallopian tube, uterus, and liver, enabling the model to recreate the science of menses. The parts were built separately by different groups of scientists.
Putting all the parts together, the scientists switched on the robot and it successfully completed its first menstrual cycle. The lab-based creation proves that there is hope to create a number of fake organ systems that could work as well as the original human parts. Scientists now see the possibility of creating a “human in a dish”.
"This is a very exciting breakthrough," Dr. Marc Winter, an OB-GYN at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in California says in an interview. She explains that using human tissue and hormones and orchestrate it in laboratory setting could open many research possibilities. According to The Sun, this successful trial is the latest in a series of organs-on-chips effort to mimic biological functions in hopes of advancing the biomedical field and improve the quality of life.
Recreation of the menstrual cycle is proof that combining chip technology with human tissue is possible, providing a very efficient way to study how the body reacts to dangerous drugs. According to She Knows, the latest experiment also provides a good way to study reproductive diseases, advancement in fertility treatments, and contribute to the serious lack of research on menstrual pain. Although it is more likely to save lives, the latest scientific achievement can also usher in the era where humans can marry robots, a concept that Stephen Hawking has warned us about.
