scholarly journals Robust Self-Regeneratable Stiff Living Materials

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avinash Manjula-Basavanna ◽  
Anna Duraj-Thatte ◽  
Neel S. Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Organic Solvents ◽  
Smart Materials ◽  
Building Block ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Living Systems ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Microbial Cells ◽  
Living Materials

AbstractLiving systems have not only the exemplary capability to fabricate materials (e.g. wood, bone) under ambient conditions but they also consist of living cells that imbue them with properties like growth and self-regeneration. Like a seed that can grow into a sturdy living wood, we wondered: can living cells alone serve as the primary building block to fabricate stiff materials? Here we report the fabrication of stiff living materials (SLMs) produced entirely from microbial cells, without the incorporation of any structural biopolymers (e.g. cellulose, chitin, collagen) or biominerals (e.g. hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate) that are known to impart stiffness to biological materials. Remarkably, SLMs are also lightweight, strong, resistant to organic solvents and can self-regenerate. This living materials technology can serve as a powerful biomanufacturing platform to design and develop sustainable structural materials, biosensors, self-regulators, self-healing and environment-responsive smart materials.

scholarly journals Biohybrid Actuators for Soft Robotics: Challenges in Scaling Up

Actuators ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Phillip Won ◽  
Seung Hwan Ko ◽  
Carmel Majidi ◽  
Adam W. Feinberg ◽  
Victoria A. Webster-Wood
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Living Systems ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Artificial Structures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Macro Scale

Living systems have evolved to survive in a wide range of environments and safely interact with other objects and organisms. Thus, living systems have been the source of inspiration for many researchers looking to apply their mechanics and unique characteristics in engineering robotics. Moving beyond bioinspiration, biohybrid actuators, with compliance and self-healing capabilities enabled by living cells or tissue interfaced with artificial structures, have drawn great interest as ways to address challenges in soft robotics, and in particular have seen success in small-scale robotic actuation. However, macro-scale biohybrid actuators beyond the centimeter scale currently face many practical obstacles. In this perspective, we discuss the challenges in scaling up biohybrid actuators and the path to realize large-scale biohybrid soft robotics.

scholarly journals Rapid synchronized fabrication of vascularized thermosets and composites

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayank Garg ◽  
Jia En Aw ◽  
Xiang Zhang ◽  
Polette J. Centellas ◽  
Leon M. Dean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Capillary Flow ◽  
External Heat ◽  
Frontal Polymerization ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Vascular Networks ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
External Energy ◽  
Imaging Phantoms ◽  
Vascular Structures

AbstractBioinspired vascular networks transport heat and mass in hydrogels, microfluidic devices, self-healing and self-cooling structures, filters, and flow batteries. Lengthy, multistep fabrication processes involving solvents, external heat, and vacuum hinder large-scale application of vascular networks in structural materials. Here, we report the rapid (seconds to minutes), scalable, and synchronized fabrication of vascular thermosets and fiber-reinforced composites under ambient conditions. The exothermic frontal polymerization (FP) of a liquid or gelled resin facilitates coordinated depolymerization of an embedded sacrificial template to create host structures with high-fidelity interconnected microchannels. The chemical energy released during matrix polymerization eliminates the need for a sustained external heat source and greatly reduces external energy consumption for processing. Programming the rate of depolymerization of the sacrificial thermoplastic to match the kinetics of FP has the potential to significantly expedite the fabrication of vascular structures with extended lifetimes, microreactors, and imaging phantoms for understanding capillary flow in biological systems.

Self-healing Polymeric Hydrogels: Toward Multifunctional Soft Smart Materials

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Ling Zuo ◽  
Shao-Fan Wang ◽  
Xiao-Xia Le ◽  
Wei Lu ◽  
Tao Chen
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Polymeric Hydrogels

scholarly journals Synthesis of highly stable luminescent molecular crystals based on (E)-2-((3-(ethoxycarbonyl)-5-methyl-4-phenylthiophen-2-yl)amino)-4-oxo-4-(p-tolyl)but-2-enoic acid

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 20218411
Author(s):  
N. A. Zhestkij ◽  
E. V. Gunina ◽  
S. P. Fisenko ◽  
A. E. Rubtsov ◽  
D. A. Shipilovskikh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Compound ◽  
Building Block ◽  
Molecular Crystals ◽  
Enoic Acid ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Organic Molecular Crystals

The synthesis of (E)-2-((3-(ethoxycarbonyl)-5-methyl-4-phenylthiophen-2-yl)amino)-4-oxo-4-(p-tolyl)but-2-enoic acid was performed. This organic compound was used as a building block for the organic molecular crystals with highly stable photoluminescence at ambient conditions, which has been established during 10 years of exploitation.

scholarly journals Bioprecipitation of calcium carbonate by Bacillus subtilis and its potential to self-healing in cement-based materials

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor Ferral Pérez ◽  
Mónica Galicia García
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Soil Stabilization ◽  
Amorphous Material ◽  
Crystallinity Index ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Semi Solid ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Novel Applications

In recent years, biological mineralization has been implemented as a viable option for the elaboration of new building materials, protection and repair of concrete by self-healing, soil stabilization, carbon dioxide capture, and drug delivery. Biogenic mineralization of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) induced by bacterial metabolism has been proposed as an effective method. The objective of the present study was to characterize the bioprecipitation of CaCO3 crystals by Bacillus subtilis in a semi-solid system. The results show that CaCO3 crystals were produced by day 3 of incubation. The prevalent crystalline polymorph was calcite, and in a minor proportion, vaterite. The presence of amorphous material was also detected (amorphous CaCO3 (ACC)). Finally, the crystallinity index was 81.1%. This biogenic calcium carbonate does not decrease pH and does not yield chloride formation. Contrary, it increases pH values up to 10, which constitutes and advantage for implementations at reinforced concrete. Novel applications for biogenic calcium carbonate derived from Bacillus subtilis addressing self-healing, biocementation processes, and biorestoration of monuments are presented.  

scholarly journals Cell-free genetic devices confer autonomic and adaptive properties to hydrogels

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette J. Whitfield ◽  
Alice M. Banks ◽  
Gema Dura ◽  
John Love ◽  
Jonathan E. Fieldsend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Smart Materials ◽  
Living Organism ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractSmart materials are able to alter one or more of their properties in response to defined stimuli. Our ability to design and create such materials, however, does not match the diversity and specificity of responses seen within the biological domain. We propose that relocation of molecular phenomena from living cells into hydrogels can be used to confer smart functionality to materials. We establish that cell-free protein synthesis can be conducted in agarose hydrogels, that gene expression occurs throughout the material and that co-expression of genes is possible. We demonstrate that gene expression can be controlled transcriptionally (using in gel gene interactions) and translationally in response to small molecule and nucleic acid triggers. We use this system to design and build a genetic device that can alter the structural property of its chassis material in response to exogenous stimuli. Importantly, we establish that a wide range of hydrogels are appropriate chassis for cell-free synthetic biology, meaning a designer may alter both the genetic and hydrogel components according to the requirements of a given application. We probe the relationship between the physical structure of the gel and in gel protein synthesis and reveal that the material itself may act as a macromolecular crowder enhancing protein synthesis. Given the extensive range of genetically encoded information processing networks in the living kingdom and the structural and chemical diversity of hydrogels, this work establishes a model by which cell-free synthetic biology can be used to create autonomic and adaptive materials.Significance statementSmart materials have the ability to change one or more of their properties (e.g. structure, shape or function) in response to specific triggers. They have applications ranging from light-sensitive sunglasses and drug delivery systems to shape-memory alloys and self-healing coatings. The ability to programme such materials, however, is basic compared to the ability of a living organism to observe, understand and respond to its environment. Here we demonstrate the relocation of biological information processing systems from cells to materials. We achieved this by operating small, programmable genetic devices outside the confines of a living cell and inside hydrogel matrices. These results establish a method for developing materials functionally enhanced with molecular machinery from biological systems.

scholarly journals Programmable Microbial Ink for 3D Printing of Living Materials Produced from Genetically Engineered Protein Nanofibers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M Duraj-Thatte ◽  
Avinash Manjula Basavanna ◽  
Jarod Rutledge ◽  
Jing Xia ◽  
Shabir Hassan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Chemical Induction ◽  
Genetic Circuits ◽  
3D Print ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Molecular Components ◽  
Living Materials

Living cells have the capability to synthesize molecular components and precisely assemble them from the nanoscale to build macroscopic living functional architectures under ambient conditions. The emerging field of living materials has leveraged microbial engineering to produce materials for various applications, but building 3D structures in arbitrary patterns and shapes has been a major challenge. We set out to develop a new bioink, termed as "microbial ink" that is produced entirely from genetically engineered microbial cells, programmed to perform a bottom-up, hierarchical self-assembly of protein monomers into nanofibers, and further into nanofiber networks that comprise extrudable hydrogels. We further demonstrate the 3D printing of functional living materials by embedding programmed Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells and nanofibers into microbial ink, which can sequester toxic moieties, release biologics and regulate its own cell growth through the chemical induction of rationally designed genetic circuits. This report showcases the advanced capabilities of nanobiotechnology and living materials technology to 3D-print functional living architectures.

scholarly journals Engineered Living Materials: Prospects and Challenges for Using Biological Systems to Direct the Assembly of Smart Materials

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (19) ◽  
pp. 1704847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Q. Nguyen ◽  
Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne ◽  
Anna Duraj-Thatte ◽  
Pichet Praveschotinunt ◽  
Neel S. Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Smart Materials ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Living Materials

scholarly journals Bioinspired Metal–Polyphenol Materials: Self-Healing and Beyond

Biomimetics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Andersen ◽  
Yaqing Chen ◽  
Henrik Birkedal
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Chemical Bonding ◽  
Smart Materials ◽  
Blue Mussel ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Underwater Adhesion ◽  
Metal Chelating ◽  
Physical Interactions ◽  
Ph Dependent

The blue mussel incorporates the polyphenolic amino acid l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) to achieve self-healing, pH-responsiveness, and impressive underwater adhesion in the byssus threads that ensure the survival of the animal. This is achieved by a pH-dependent and versatile reaction chemistry of polyphenols, including both physical interactions as well as reversible and irreversible chemical bonding. With a short introduction to the biological background, we here review the latest advances in the development of smart materials based on the metal-chelating capabilities of polyphenols. We focus on new ways of utilizing the polyphenolic properties, including studies on the modifications of the nearby chemical environment (on and near the polyphenolic moiety) and on the incorporation of polyphenols into untraditional materials.

Self-Healing of Nanoporous Gold Under Ambient Conditions

Nano Letters ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 6706-6711
Author(s):  
Eun-Ji Gwak ◽  
Hansol Jeon ◽  
Eunji Song ◽  
Ju-Young Kim
Keyword(s):  
Nanoporous Gold ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Ambient Conditions
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