Interfacial and Bulk Flow Processing of Biological Substrates

CBET-0754060富勒智力优点：胶原蛋白和丝素蛋白是纤维蛋白，作为支架和细胞培养基质的生物材料引起了人们的兴趣。这项研究工作是针对能够控制这些材料的取向和形态的界面和体流处理方法。它表明，这种控制的微观结构有重要的后果上的行为，人类细胞生长在这些蛋白质的表面上。界面流动处理方法将被研究作为一种手段操纵胶原纤维的取向。在丝纤蛋白的情况下，这些技术将用于系统地改变该蛋白质的结晶形态的结晶度和取向。限制这些蛋白质的界面强烈促进分子间的相互作用和自组装，并提供了重要的优势，流动诱导操纵的微观结构。第二种方法，将被用来操纵微观结构是应用流体动力学的这些材料从液晶状态。在胶原蛋白的情况下，可以实现双相，并且流动过程能够通过流动条带产生显著的结构。这些条带似乎也控制细胞生长。将被应用到这些系统的实验方法包括界面流变学测量这些层的表面模量，二向色性测量，以确定流动诱导的取向顺序，界面等温线的测量，和表面X-射线衍射和反射率。该计划包括使用这些技术获得的初步数据，这些数据显示我们有能力有效地用这些纤维蛋白质创造重要的新形态。该项目具有REU和RET方面。拟议活动产生的更广泛影响：虽然这项研究工作不是组织工程计划，但其结果预计将与这一广泛领域非常相关。特别地，已知基底微结构的形态对随后在其上生长的细胞的形状、大小和增殖具有强烈影响。两名化学工程专业的研究生将接受界面热力学、界面流体力学、流变学（本体和界面）、细胞培养和一系列表征技术（界面流变学、二色性和布鲁斯特角显微镜和X射线散射）的培训。富勒实验室的外联活动为本科生和高中研究人员提供了实习机会。

CBET-0754060FullerIntellectual Merit:Collagen and silk fibroin are fibrous proteins that have attracted interest as biomaterials for use as scaffold and cell culture substrates. This research effort is directed at interfacial and bulk flow processing methods that are able to control the orientation and morphology of these materials. It is demonstrated that this control of microstructure has important consequences on the behavior of human cells that are grown on the surfaces of these proteins. Interfacial flow processing methods will be investigated as a means of manipulating the orientation of collagen fibrils. In the case of silk fibroin, these techniques will be used to systematically vary the degree of crystallization and orientation of the crystalline morphology of this protein. Confinement of these proteins to an interface strongly facilitates intermolecular interactions and self assembly, and offers important advantages for flow-induced manipulation of microstructure. The second method that will be used to manipulate microstructure is the application of hydrodynamic forces to these materials from the liquid crystalline state. In the case of collagen, cholesteric phases can be achieved and flow processes are able to create remarkable structures through flow banding. These bands also appear to control cell growth. The experimental methods that will be applied to these systems include interfacial rheology to measure the surface moduli of these layers, dichroism measurements to determine flow-induced orientational order, the measurement of interfacial isotherms, and surface x-ray diffraction and reflectivity. The proposal includes preliminary data acquired using these techniques that reveal our ability to effectively create important, new morphologies with these fibrous proteins.The project has an REU and RET aspect.Broader Impacts Resulting from the Proposed Activity:Although this research effort is not a program in tissue engineering, its results are expected to be very relevant to this broad area. In particular, it is known that the morphology of substrate microstructure has a strong influence on the subsequent shape, size, and proliferation of cells that grow on them. Two graduate students in chemical engineering will be trained in subjects that include interfacial thermodynamics, interfacial fluid mechanics, rheology (bulk and interfacial), the culturing of cells, and an array of characterization techniques (interfacial rheology, dichroism and Brewster angle microscopy, and x-ray scattering). Outreach activities in the Fuller laboratory have provided internships to undergraduate and high school researchers.