Study of Synthetic/Living Feedback Systems Enabled by Innovation in Shape-Memory Polymers

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Non-TechnicalBiomaterials are often used to study cells and tissues. Some biomaterials are designed with specific properties, such as stiffness or surface shape, to study how cells and tissues respond to those properties. This first category of biomaterials is improving understanding of how cells and tissues work in health or disease and how cells and tissue respond when in contact with biomaterials, such as those used in medical devices. Other biomaterials are designed to be "smart", meaning that they can undergo changes in properties such as stiffness or surface shape in response to exposure to water, light, or other triggers. This second category of bio-materials is providing new tools for controlling cells and tissues in research or therapies. This project will create and study a new third category of biomaterials that combine the properties of the first two. These new biomaterials will not only have specific properties to which cells and tissues respond but will also be "smart" and capable of responding to the presence of the cells and tissues. By studying the back-and-forth interaction, with the material responding to the cells and tissues and vice versa, new understanding will be developed regarding how cells and tissues work and how materials can be used to control them. Society will further benefit from a yearly workshop that will train central high school teachers on "Making Smart Materials."Stimuli responsive biomaterials have been developed to assay or control biological systems, but the potential of these biomaterials may be largely untapped. The potentially transformative opportunity is that of integrating stimuli responsive biomaterials with biological systems to create hybrid feedback systems that can provide new insight into phenomena at the interface of synthetic/living material systems. The goal of the proposed research is to create new stimuli responsive shape-memory polymers and study them in innovative synthetic/living feedback systems. Three objectives will be pursued. First, to tune cytocompatible shape-memory polymers for photo-thermal stimulation. Second, to develop and understand enzyme-responsive shape-memory polymers. Third, to study synthetic/living feedback systems, both systems that are imaging-enabled and semiautonomous and systems that are material-enabled and fully autonomous. This work is designed to be transformative in two ways: it will lead to novel material designs; and it will enable discovery of new material phenomena. Society will benefit from both the development of the individuals involved and through new knowledge that promises to drive advanced in biomedical fields. In addition, a yearly 2-day workshop will train central New York STEM teachers on "Making Smart Materials."TechnicalStimuli responsive biomaterials have been developed to assay or control biological systems, but the potential of these biomaterials may be largely untapped. The potentially transformative opportunity is that of integrating stimuli responsive biomaterials with biological systems to create hybrid feedback systems that can provide new insight into phenomena at the interface of synthetic/living material systems. The goal of the proposed research is to create new stimuli responsive shape-memory polymers and study them in innovative synthetic/living feedback systems. Three objectives will be pursued. First, to tune cytocompatible shape-memory polymers for photo-thermal stimulation. Second, to develop and understand enzyme-responsive shape-memory polymers. Third, to study synthetic/living feedback systems, both systems that are imaging-enabled and semiautonomous and systems that are material-enabled and fully autonomous. This work is designed to be transformative in two ways: it will lead to novel material designs; and it will enable discovery of new material phenomena. Society will benefit from both the development of the individuals involved and through new knowledge that promises to drive advances in biomedical fields. In addition, a yearly 2-day workshop will train central New York STEM teachers on "Making Smart Materials."