CAREER: Multiscale Mechanics of Mycelium for Lightweight, Strong, and Sustainable Composites

职业：用于轻质、坚固和可持续复合材料的菌丝体多尺度力学

• 批准号: 2145392
• 负责人: Zhao Qin
• 金额: $ 59.52万
• 依托单位: Syracuse University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-07-01 至 2027-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2145392&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Multiscale; Mechanics; Mycelium; Lightweight

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant will focus on revealing the fundamental principles that govern the multiscale mechanics of mycelium-based composites and integrate research into an educational program. Mycelium is massively produced during mushroom growth as the main body of fungi. It plays an essential role in altering soil chemistry and mechanics, enabling a suitable living environment for different plant species. Their growth naturally forms entanglement and bonds to integrate organic wastes, including hardwood residue, mill dust, and stalk, to produce strong and lightweight composites without adding synthetic glues or energy input. The multiscale structure of mycelium composites includes the chemistry of mycelium fiber, the mycelium-debris interface, and the complex mycelium network entangled with debris. These features synergistically determine the composite strength, elasticity, and toughness. This research project will develop computational modeling, culturing, and characterizations capabilities to understand the evolving mycelium structure in growth and the structure-mechanics relationship to yield better composites. This research will be complemented by establishing an inclusive, engaging, and inspiring educational program to the broad community, including curriculum development, giving a special exhibition on biomaterials, coordinating learn-by-play activities and seminars on computational simulations for bridge competition in a local museum, and involving K-12 in research through an institutional STEM education center. The specific goal of this project is to develop a fundamental multiscale model of mycelium-based composites, validate the model through in-lab culturing and mechanical/structural characterizations, and reveal the mechanism of making mycelium composite lightweight and strong. The research objectives of this project include (i) development of a multiscale modeling and simulations platform for the structure-mechanics relationship of mycelium-wood composite; (ii) development of Monte Carlo and generative adversarial network models to replicate and predict the growth of mycelium network; (iii) capability to use machine learning model for fast prediction of the composite mechanical properties and their scaling law with material density. In addition, the following fundamental questions will be addressed: (1) what are the roles of environmental factors and nutrition distribution in the structure and mechanics of a mycelium network; (2) what are the roles of processing parameters in the mechanics of mycelium composites. The overall focus will be on understanding the physics of mycelium composite and the potential of producing multifunctional composites from wastes. This project will allow the PI to advance the knowledge base in material science, multiscale modeling, and mechanics, and establish his long-term career in biomechanics and biomaterials.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.

该教师早期职业发展（CAREER）资助将重点揭示控制菌丝体复合材料多尺度力学的基本原理，并将研究整合到教育计划中。菌丝体在蘑菇生长过程中大量产生，是真菌的主体。它在改变土壤化学和力学方面发挥着重要作用，为不同植物物种提供合适的生存环境。它们的生长自然形成缠结和粘合，以整合有机废物，包括硬木残渣、磨粉和秸秆，从而生产出坚固且轻质的复合材料，而无需添加合成胶水或能量输入。菌丝体复合材料的多尺度结构包括菌丝体纤维的化学性质、菌丝体-碎片界面以及与碎片缠绕的复杂菌丝体网络。这些特性协同决定了复合材料的强度、弹性和韧性。该研究项目将开发计算建模、培养和表征能力，以了解生长过程中不断演变的菌丝体结构以及结构-力学关系，从而产生更好的复合材料。这项研究将通过为广大社区建立一个包容性、参与性和鼓舞人心的教育计划来补充，包括课程开发、举办生物材料特别展览、协调边玩边学的活动以及在当地举办桥牌比赛计算模拟研讨会。博物馆，并通过机构 STEM 教育中心让 K-12 参与研究。该项目的具体目标是开发基于菌丝体的复合材料的基本多尺度模型，通过实验室培养和机械/结构表征验证该模型，并揭示使菌丝体复合材料轻质且坚固的机制。该项目的研究目标包括（i）开发菌丝体-木材复合材料的结构-力学关系的多尺度建模和模拟平台； (ii) 开发蒙特卡罗和生成对抗网络模型来复制和预测菌丝体网络的生长； (iii) 能够使用机器学习模型快速预测复合材料的力学性能及其随材料密度的变化规律。此外，还将解决以下基本问题：（1）环境因素和营养分配在菌丝体网络的结构和力学中的作用是什么； (2)加工参数在菌丝体复合材料力学中的作用是什么。总体重点是了解菌丝体复合材料的物理原理以及从废物中生产多功能复合材料的潜力。该项目将使 PI 能够推进材料科学、多尺度建模和力学方面的知识基础，并在生物力学和生物材料领域建立他的长期职业生涯。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

项目成果

Mycelium-based wood composites for light weight and high strength by experiment and machine learning

通过实验和机器学习实现轻质高强度的菌丝体木质复合材料

• DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2023.101424
• 发表时间: 2023-05-01
• 期刊: Cell Reports Physical Science
• 影响因子: 8.9
• 作者: Libin Yang;Zhao Qin
• 通讯作者: Zhao Qin

Design and build a green tent environment for growing and charactering mycelium growth in lab

设计和建造一个绿色帐篷环境，用于实验室中菌丝体的生长和表征

• DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00336a
• 发表时间: 2023-08
• 期刊: Lab on a Chip
• 影响因子: 6.1
• 作者: Yang, Libin;Xu, Ruohan;Joardar, Anushka;Amponsah, Michael;Sharifi, Nina;Dong, Bing;Qin, Zhao
• 通讯作者: Qin, Zhao

Effects of terminal tripeptide units on mechanical properties of collagen triple helices

末端三肽单元对胶原三螺旋力学性能的影响

• DOI: 10.1016/j.eml.2023.102075
• 发表时间: 2023-11
• 期刊: Extreme Mechanics Letters
• 影响因子: 4.7
• 作者: Masrouri, Milad;Qin, Zhao
• 通讯作者: Qin, Zhao

Structure–mechanics relationship of hybrid polyvinyl alcohol-collagen composite by molecular dynamics simulations

分子动力学模拟杂化聚乙烯醇-胶原复合材料的结构-力学关系

• DOI: 10.1557/s43577-022-00416-0
• 发表时间: 2022-11-03
• 期刊: MRS Bulletin
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: Ju;Zhao Qin
• 通讯作者: Zhao Qin