Control of Functional Bioenabled Materials using Synthetic Cells
The goal of this project is to develop new approaches to design, implement, and control of functional bioenabled materials using synthetic cells. We will build on advances in synthetic biology and molecular sciences that have substantially advanced our ability to produce genetically-programmed synthetic cells from molecular components. These efforts provide techniques for the bottom-up construction of cell-like systems that can provide scientists with new insights into how natural cells work and harness the power of biology to create nanoscale, biomolecular materials.
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Objectives
The long-term objective of this project is to understand the state-of-the-art and evaluate the possibility of using externally stimulated, biological circuits to control the functionality of bioenabled materials. Specific objectives for the first two years of the project are to:
- Identify and develop one or more different technical approaches that allow control of functional biomaterials using synthetic cells via changes in the external environment (chemical, electrical, or mechanical).
- Demonstrate the viability of these approaches through the creation of small material samples for experimental testing and characterization.
- Evaluate the overall feasibility of the proposed techniques for Army-relevant applications and identify future activities to overcome the primary technical hurdles that are identified.
Additional objectives for a third year of optional funding are to:
- Further experimental testing and characterization to determine what approaches are more practical to lead towards innovative material properties.
References
None to date
This research is supported by the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies through contract W911NF-19-D-90001 from the U.S. Army Research Office. The content of the information on this page does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.
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