Shape-Morphing Living Composites

可变形的活性复合材料

• 批准号: 1905511
• 负责人: Taylor Ware
• 金额: $ 46.22万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Dallas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2020-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1905511&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Shape; Morphing; Living; Composites

Designing Living-Synthetic, Shape-Morphing Composites Non-technical abstractThis award by the Biomaterials Program in the Division of Materials Research, to the University of Texas at Dallas, seeks to design and characterize shape-changing composites comprised of both living cells and non-living materials. Single-celled organisms sense and respond to very small changes in their surroundings, but it is difficult to use these organisms as materials in engineering applications. By comparison, most synthetic materials do not respond to their environment or only respond to very large changes, but the properties of these materials can be readily controlled. This research effort will focus on the synthesis, 3D printing, and characterization of hybrid materials that combine the advantages of both living and non-living components. Specifically, Baker's yeast will be embedded in a hydrogel, a soft material largely comprised of water. The growth of these cells causes the entire material to change in shape. By controlling the genes of the yeast, materials can be built to change shape and produce specific biomolecules after detecting specific, small changes in the environment. These materials may be used for simple sensors capable of detecting and reporting changes in bodily fluids or in the environment. The behavior of these new materials could also enable drug-delivery devices that sense disease states in the gut and respond by delivering treatment to the area. This research will also create opportunities for K-12 students to learn about topics in both biology and materials science. Technical abstractThe objective of the proposed work is to harness the controlled proliferation of microorganisms to create synthetic-living hydrogels capable of programmable shape change. Specifically, Saccharomyces cerevisiae will be embedded in acrylamide hydrogels, and the proliferation of these cells will induce shape change in the composite. The primary advantage of this approach, as compared to engineering purely synthetic, responsive materials, is that genetic engineering and material formulation can be used to program the macroscopic composite response to predetermined and incredibly specific stimuli. This work consists of four research tasks: 1) Quantify local and global mechanical deformation during proliferation-induced shape change of the composite and measure the effects of hydrogel mechanical properties on growth, 2) 3D print synthetic-living composites and measure the effects of geometry and porosity on composite growth, 3) Elucidate the fundamental relationship between dose and response and elucidate the specificity of living composites to metabolites, proteins, and light as stimuli that evoke shape change, and 4) Design hydrogel matrices that respond controllably to enzymes produced by the yeast, enabling feedback control of shape change. The effect of metabolites, stimuli, and proteins produced by the yeast on growth throughout the composite will be measured, thus providing understanding of the fundamental relationships that govern living materials. This work will address a critical need for materials that sense highly specific biochemical or weak physical cues and then respond in a controlled manner. These materials will impact areas of critical national need, including drug-delivery strategies that could be used in the gut and simple biochemical sensors. Research activities will be coupled to outreach efforts for K-12 students on topics including genetics, hydrogels, and yeast. These efforts will be aimed at both increasing participation of underrepresented groups in science careers and dissemination of research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

设计生物材料研究部的生物合成，形状复合材料非技术摘要奖，该奖项是材料研究部的，德克萨斯大学达拉斯分校，旨在设计和表征由活细胞和非生存材料组成的形状变化的复合材料。单细胞生物有意义并应对周围环境的很小变化，但是很难将这些生物作为工程应用中的材料。相比之下，大多数合成材料对它们的环境没有响应，或者仅响应很大的变化，但是这些材料的特性很容易受到控制。这项研究工作将集中于结合生物和非生命组件优势的混合材料的合成，3D打印和表征。具体而言，贝克的酵母将嵌入水凝胶中，这是一种大部分由水组成的软材料。这些细胞的生长导致整个材料的形状变化。通过控制酵母的基因，可以在检测到环境的特定小变化后建造材料来改变形状并产生特定的生物分子。这些材料可用于能够检测和报告体液或环境中的变化的简单传感器。这些新材料的行为还可以使吸毒装置能够感知肠道中的疾病状态，并通过向该地区提供治疗来做出反应。这项研究还将为K-12学生创造机会，了解生物学和材料科学领域的主题。技术摘要拟议的工作的目的是利用微生物的受控增殖，以创建能够可编程形状变化的合成生命水凝胶。具体而言，酿酒酵母将嵌入丙烯酰胺水凝胶中，这些细胞的增殖将诱导复合材料中的形状变化。与工程纯粹的响应材料相比，这种方法的主要优点是，遗传工程和材料配方可用于对宏观复合响应编程为预定的和令人难以置信的特定刺激。这项工作由四个研究任务组成：1）在增殖引起的复合材料的形状变化过程中量化本地和全球机械变形，并测量水凝胶机械性能对生长的影响，2）3D打印合成生存的复合材料，并衡量几何和孔隙度和孔隙率的影响，孔隙度和孔隙量的效果作为唤起形状变化的刺激，以及4）设计水凝胶矩阵，这些水凝胶矩阵对酵母产生的酶有反应，从而可以对形状变化的反馈控制。将测量酵母在整个复合材料中生长产生的代谢产物，刺激和蛋白质的影响，从而提供对控制生物的基本关系的理解。这项工作将解决对高度特定的生化或弱物理线索，然后以受控方式做出反应的材料的关键需求。这些材料将影响国民需求的关键领域，包括可以在肠道和简单的生化传感器中使用的药物交付策略。 研究活动将与K-12学生有关遗传学，水凝胶和酵母等主题的宣传工作。这些努力将旨在增加代表性不足的群体在科学职业中的参与和研究的传播。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准，认为值得通过评估来获得支持。

项目成果

Shape-morphing living composites

• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax8582
• 发表时间: 2020-01
• 期刊: Science Advances
• 影响因子: 13.6
• 作者: Laura K. Rivera‐Tarazona;Vandita D Bhat;Hyun Kim;Z. Campbell;T. Ware