CCI Phase I: NSF Center for Genomically Encoded Materials (C-GEM)

开发由确定的单体序列组成的聚合物的合成路线是化学中当前的挑战。蛋白质是天然的聚合物，是由活细胞容易有效地组合在一起的特定氨基酸序列。美国国家科学基金会基因组编码材料中心（C-GEM）采用了一种生物启发的方法，通过重新设计细胞系统来制造一系列合成聚合物。 在这种情况下，细胞成为一个新的翻译机器，合成特定序列和长度的新化学聚合物。NSF C-GEM建立了一个新的、变革性的化学领域，并促进了化学-生物-材料前沿的创新。具有新性能的新材料的应用范围从信息存储到防伪和药物输送，从环境修复到药物发现。NSF C-GEM让科学家和非科学家参与各种研究和教育活动，包括改善与公众的沟通。这些教育和参与计划将研究与培训相结合，以建立多元化的化学工作队伍。NSF C-GEM提出了一个新的在线平台和数据管理系统GEM-Net，以促进研究团队内外的数据共享。NSF C-GEM还在开发一个在线视频游戏，让公民科学家参与研究过程并跟踪结果。NSF基因组编码材料中心（NSF C-GEM）专注于制备聚合物的挑战，这些聚合物的单体和分散性由蛋白质样控制来定义。序列定义的聚合物在信息存储、防伪、药物递送、环境修复甚至药物发现方面具有非凡的潜力，但制备它们的策略才刚刚起步。NSF C-GEM的方法通过重新利用E。大肠杆菌翻译器。通常促进α-氨基酸之间的键形成的翻译机制现在促进单体之间的键形成反应，所述单体是芳族聚酰胺、聚烯烃、聚氨酯和其他聚合物的结构单元。该方法需要正交酶，其在体内有效地用每个单体酰化正交tRNA;正交核糖体，其接受这些tRNA作为底物并延长产物;具有多个开放密码子的基因组编码生物体，以使序列定义的聚合物的mRNA模板合成成为可能;以及高分辨率结构数据，以加深理解并为设计提供信息。该项目开发了多学科工具和技术，展示了该方法的概念证明，并为此目的建立了实用的方法。NSF C-GEM促进化学-生物-材料前沿的创新，并使科学家和非科学家参与研究和教育活动。一套多样化的教育和参与计划将研究与培训相结合，建立多元化的化学工作队伍，并改善与公众的沟通。

Developing synthetic routes to polymers consisting of a defined sequence of monomers is a current challenge in chemistry. Proteins are natural polymers, and are specific sequences of amino acids put together easily and efficiently by the living cell. The NSF Center for Genomically Encoded Materials (C-GEM) takes a bio-inspired approach making a sequence of synthetic polymers by re-engineering the cell's systems. In this case, the cell becomes a new translational machine that synthesizes new chemical polymers of specific sequence and length. NSF C-GEM establishes a new, transformative field of chemistry and fosters innovation at the chemistry-biology-materials frontier. The applications of the new materials with novel properties range from information storage to anti-counterfeiting and drug delivery, from environmental remediation to drug discovery. NSF C-GEM engages scientists and non-scientists in a variety of research and educational activities, including improved communication to the public. These education and participation programs integrate research with training to establish a diverse chemical workforce. NSF C-GEM presents a new online platform and data management system, GEM-Net, to promote data sharing within and outside the research team. NSF C-GEM is also developing an online video game that allows citizen scientists to participate in the research process and track results. The NSF Center for Genomically Encoded Materials, NSF C-GEM, is focused on the challenge of preparing polymers whose monomers and dispersity are defined with protein-like control. Sequence-defined polymers possess extraordinary potential for information storage, anti-counterfeiting, drug delivery, environmental remediation, and even drug discovery, but strategies to prepare them are barely in their infancy. NSF C-GEM's approach synthesizes sequence-defined chemical polymers by repurposing the E. coli translational apparatus. The translation machinery, which normally promotes bond formation between alpha-amino acids, now promotes bond-forming reactions between monomers that are the building blocks for aramids, polyolefins, polyurethanes, and other polymers. The approach demands orthogonal enzymes that acylate orthogonal tRNAs with each monomer, efficiently and in vivo; orthogonal ribosomes that accept these tRNAs as substrates and elongate the products; genomically-recoded organisms with multiple open codons to enable mRNA-templated synthesis of sequence-defined polymers; and high-resolution structural data to deepen understanding and inform design. The project develops the multi-disciplinary tools and technologies that demonstrate the proof of concept of the approach and establish practical methodologies to this aim. NSF C-GEM fosters innovation at the chemistry-biology-materials frontier, and engages scientists and non-scientists in research and educational activities. A diverse set of education and participation programs integrates research with training, establishes a diverse chemical workforce, and improves communication with the public.