There is a possibility that a 3D printer designed by a University of Illinois chemist might revolutionize the development of new medications.

The details of the printer have been revealed in the latest edition of the journal Science. It has been informed that the mechanism makes use of a limited amount of basic molecules and chemical programming in order to build completely new molecules.

According to experts, there is a possibility that the technology might allow scientists to print uncommon, difficult to get or never-before-studied substances in labs. It has been believed that the system might have its greatest impact on the capability in order to examine the medicinal properties of those molecules.

"There are many molecules in nature with some extraordinary natural properties that are incredibly hard to make and just aren't available to be purchased in a catalog”, said Martin Burke.

The experts said that developing the synthetic molecules with the 3D printer can consume a lot of hours and it depends on the difficulty of the needed chemical steps. According to the Illinois researchers, taking away the byproducts of chemical reactions earlier hampered development of the technology. A new method has been found by the researchers to do so without harming the molecules they’ve built.

It has been predicted by Burke, like the conventional 3D printer, the technology might finally move into the hands of non-specialists and even consumers. The new 3D chemical printer is only a prototype and has ability to only print a limited number of chemicals. Burke has imagined it being utilized in order to develop new drugs and quickly synthesize molecules that would reportedly take a trained chemist years to craft.