RUI: Biocompatible Electromechanical Actuators Based on Silk-Conducting Polymer Composites

非技术总结：该奖项由西华盛顿大学材料研究部的生物材料项目授予，旨在设计和制造能够控制运动的生物相容性材料，即致动器，该致动器被广泛用于各种生物医学设备，如动态人工组织，药物输送仓库和可操纵手术器械。最近，PI的实验室已经开发出利用由蚕丝制成的复合材料构建完全生物相容的无金属致动器设备的方法，并证明这些材料可以在模拟人体的环境中响应低施加电压而移动。在这里，PI计划扩展这些结果，以进一步开发具有稳定和有效驱动性能的多功能生物材料。 本科生广泛参与研究是这项工作的一个关键目标。这项研究计划将涉及12-15名本科生在三年的补助金期间，除了硕士水平的研究生。这些学生将参与研究的每个阶段。除了这个项目，这项工作还将有助于增加本科STEM研究的基础设施，并进一步促进物理，化学和先进材料科学与工程中心（AMSEC）在西华盛顿大学之间的合作部门。技术总结：该项目的目的是开发由丝素蛋白和导电聚合物（CP）组成的建筑通用复合生物材料，这些材料在生物相关环境中起稳定和高效的机电致动器的作用。该项目建立在最近成功的co-PI合成的丝和聚（吡咯）的互穿网络复合材料，并利用这些材料作为双层致动器。在这里，CP的化学成分，丝支架结构和致动器设备的几何形状上的2D和3D驱动在生物环境中的影响将被调查。这种新型材料平台还能够开发以前未开发的致动器设备几何形状和功能。更广泛地说，这些研究将有助于通知的设计和合成的CP注定在体内使用，也将揭示合理的设计指标，将应用于设计的未来几代的生物医学设备，利用CP为基础的执行器。此外，在三年的资助期内，该计划将为12-15名本科生提供参与研究的机会，并将增加西华盛顿大学本科STEM研究的基础设施。

Non-technical Summary: This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to Western Washington University is to design and fabricate biologically compatible materials capable of controlled movements, known as actuators that are highly sought after for use in a variety of biomedical devices such as dynamic artificial tissues, drug delivery depots and steerable surgical instruments. Recently, methods have been developed in the PI's laboratory to construct fully-biocompatible, metal-free actuator devices utilizing a composite material made from silkworm silk, and demonstrated that these materials can move in response to low applied voltages while in environments that mimic the human body. Here, the PI plans to extend these results to further develop versatile biomaterials with stable and efficient actuation performance. Extensive participation of undergraduate students in research is a key goal of this work. This research program will involve a total of 12-15 undergraduate students over the three-year grant period in addition to a Master's level research student. These students will be involved in every phase of the research. Beyond this project, this work will also serve to increase the infrastructure for undergraduate STEM research, and further foster collaborations between the Departments of Physics, Chemistry and the Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Center (AMSEC) at Western Washington University. Technical Summary: The aim of this project is to develop architecturally versatile composite biomaterials composed of silk fibroin and conducting polymers (CPs) that function as stable and efficient electromechanical actuators in biologically-relevant environments. This project builds on the recent successes of the co-PIs to synthesize interpenetrating network composites of silk and poly(pyrrole) and utilize these materials as bilayer actuators. Here, the effects of CP chemical composition, silk scaffold architecture and actuator device geometry on 2D and 3D actuation in biological environments will be investigated. This novel material platform also enables the development of previously unexplored actuator device geometries and functionality. More broadly, these studies will help inform the design and synthesis of CPs destined for in vivo use, and will also uncover rational design metrics that will be applied to the design of future generations of biomedical devices utilizing CP-based actuators. Furthermore, over the three-year grant period this program will provide the opportunity for 12-15 undergraduate students to participate in research, and will increase the infrastructure for undergraduate STEM research at Western Washington University.