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Historically, researchers have studied neurons by growing them on flat surfaces like petri dishes, resulting in two-dimensional layers of cells. While useful, these 2D cultures lack the complexity and structural fidelity of actual brain tissue, which is inherently three-dimensional with neurons interconnected in complex networks.
The team at Monash University addresses this limitation by utilizing 3D printing techniques to carefully layer living brain cells, creating a tissue structure that more closely resembles a natural brain environment. This method involves precise placement of neurons to form a three-dimensional assembly, which is crucial because it allows scientists to observe neural interactions and responses in conditions that mimic the real brain tissue more faithfully.