 the ability to three - dimensionally interweave biological tissue with functional electronics could enable the creation of bionic organs possessing enhanced functionalities over their human counterparts . 
 conventional electronic devices are inherently two - dimensional , preventing seamless multidimensional integration with synthetic biology , as the processes and materials are very different . here 
 , we present a novel strategy for overcoming these difficulties via additive manufacturing of biological cells with structural and nanoparticle derived electronic elements . as a proof of concept 
 , we generated a bionic ear via 3d printing of a cell - seeded hydrogel matrix in the precise anatomic geometry of a human ear , along with an intertwined conducting polymer consisting of infused silver nanoparticles . 
 this allowed for in vitro culturing of cartilage tissue around an inductive coil antenna in the ear , which subsequently enables readout of inductively - coupled signals from cochlea - shaped electrodes . 
 the printed ear exhibits enhanced auditory sensing for radio frequency reception , and complementary left and right ears can listen to stereo audio music . 
 overall , our approach suggests a means to intricately merge biologic and nanoelectronic functionalities via 3d printing . 
Supplementary Material