6,500 Live Silkworms 3D Print an Incredible Dome

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have accomplished a stunning architectural feat using silkworms. To construct this "Silk Pavillion," 6,500 live silkworms were guided via computer, creating a 3D print of the domed structure

The vast majority of 3D printing is done with plastic (although may not be too far away), but MIT's Silk Pavillion project is the first 3D-printed structure made out of 100% natural materials

According to Wired, Neri Oxman, the creator of the project, calls the hybrid fabrication method CNSilk. It constitutes part of her interest in "biomimicry," a new science that uses designs and processes found in nature and applies them to human problems.