Tokyo, Feb. 15 -- A biohybrid hand which can move objects and make a scissor gesture has been created. The researchers used thin strings of lab-grown muscle tissue bundled into sushilike rolls to give the fingers enough strength to contract. It is named multiple muscle tissue actuators (MuMuTAs).

For the researchers' MuMuTAs are a major development towards building larger biohybrid limbs. While currently limited to the lab environment, MuMuTAs have the potential to advance future biohybrid prosthetics, aid drug testing on muscle tissue, and broaden the potential of biohybrid robotics to mimic real-life forms.

The hand is made of a 3D-printed plastic base, with tendons of human muscle tissue moving the fingers. Until now, biohybrid devic...