Real and synthetic spider silk perform a surprising variety of useful tasks, including working as a protective coating for cancer drugs. Researchers in Germany and Switzerland use synthetic spider silk biopolymers to protect delicate immunotherapy peptides until they reach the lymphatic system, where they stimulate production of cancer-fighting T lymphocytes.

Websites specializing in generalized job finding for the gig economy don't really cater to engineers. So civil engineer Ramzi Jreidini has set up a site tailored to freelance engineers and architects as well as their potential clients.

A 25-year-old bilateral below-knee amputee in the United Arab Emirates was able to replace his low-functioning wooden prostheses with 3D-printed prostheses and is now walking, running and cycling. Orthopedic prosthetist Sebastian Giede says he performed several 3D scans, modified the prostheses' inner shapes and 3D-printed test sockets to maximize comfort and functional alignment.

The complex structure of the basic functional unit of an ovary, the follicle, can now be reproduced using 3D printing. The development by researchers at Northwestern University has been proved with 3D-printed ovaries in mice, raising the hope that the same can be done for women whose ovaries have been damaged, allowing them to bear children.

The world's first fully functional 3D-printed building is set to be erected by builders in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "This building will be a testimony to the efficiency and creativity of 3D printing technology, which we believe will play a major role in reshaping construction and design sectors," said Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE's Minister of Cabinet Affairs and chairman of the UAE National Innovation Committee. The 2,000-square-foot building will be printed layer by layer with a 20-foot-tall 3D printer.