ABSTRACT

Bioprinting or the production of biological objects using additive manufacturing from a digital blueprint illustrates how sociotechnical imaginaries work within the paradigm of bio-innovation. This technology represents the near realization of the machine-based ideal attained by technologizing biological systems. The deployment of bioprinting establishes a powerful sociotechnical imaginary associated with this technology giving rise to a particular conception of the future. Interviews conducted with researchers working in a French start-up specialized on printing human skin revealed two types of futures built into the bioprinting imaginary: the indeterminate and uncertain future of tissues and organs for regenerative and personalized medicine; and the more achievable and profitable future of in vitro tissue models used by the pharmaceutical industry for drug screening. As part of this temporal landscape, bioprinting researchers struggle with issues such as the imperatives of the innovation model, technical challenges, media hype and their personal expectations. The concrete materialization of the bioprinting sociotechnical imaginary presents itself when researchers are directly confronted with the expectations of patients in search of treatments. These encounters provide an opportunity for researchers to reflect upon the ambiguous nature of their participation in the promissory economy and the construction of projected futures within the bioprinting imaginary.

摘要

生物打印或使用数字蓝图的增材制造生产生物对象说明了社会技术想象如何在生物创新范式内发挥作用。这项技术代表了通过对生物系统进行技术化而实现的基于机器的理想的近乎实现。生物打印的部署建立了与该技术相关的强大社会技术想象，从而产生了对未来的特定概念。对一家专门从事打印人体皮肤的法国初创公司的研究人员进行的采访揭示了生物打印想象中的两种类型的未来：用于再生和个性化医疗的组织和器官的不确定和不确定的未来；以及制药行业用于药物筛选的体外组织模型的更可实现和更有利可图的未来。作为这种时间景观的一部分，生物打印研究人员在创新模式的必要性、技术挑战、媒体炒作和他们的个人期望等问题上苦苦挣扎。当研究人员直接面对患者寻求治疗的期望时，生物打印社会技术想象的具体实现就出现了。这些遭遇为研究人员提供了一个机会，让他们有机会反思他们参与承诺经济和在生物打印想象中构建预期未来的模糊性。生物打印研究人员正在努力解决创新模型的必要性、技术挑战、媒体炒作和他们的个人期望等问题。当研究人员直接面对患者寻求治疗的期望时，生物打印社会技术想象的具体实现就出现了。这些遭遇为研究人员提供了一个机会，以反思他们参与承诺经济和在生物打印想象中构建预期未来的模糊性。生物打印研究人员正在努力解决创新模型的必要性、技术挑战、媒体炒作和他们的个人期望等问题。当研究人员直接面对患者寻求治疗的期望时，生物打印社会技术想象的具体实现就出现了。这些遭遇为研究人员提供了一个机会，让他们有机会反思他们参与承诺经济和在生物打印想象中构建预期未来的模糊性。