In Situ Sensing of Chemicals Inside Three-dimensional Bacterial Matrices using Artificial Cells

在化学系化学测量和成像计划的支持下，陈教授和他的合作者Atul Parikh教授正在开发监测三维生物膜中实时化学变化的新方法。这些薄膜是由细菌聚集体组成的，在自然界中很常见。Tan和Parikh团队使用生物膜在其他三维系统中模拟化学传感，包括软机器人、工程组织和化学反应器。综合教育努力需要为缺乏服务的社区的初中生和高中生创建和传播涉及基本科学原则的教材。这项研究涉及来自不同背景的研究生和本科生，他们参加了正式和非正式教育环境中的推广计划。在微米尺度上实时测量三维环境中的化学梯度相当具有挑战性。Tan和Parikh小组正在努力促进对影响使用人造细胞在微米级监测微生物生物膜内化学动力学的基本原理的理解。他们正在设计和创造人造细胞，模仿活细胞的特定属性，包括基因表达、信号通路和膜运输。从本质上讲，这些人造细胞就像是完整的微型处理器，可以解释来自环境的化学输入信号，并通过荧光记录器产生读数。这项研究使用大肠杆菌的生物膜作为模型系统，以创建在其他三维系统中进行化学传感的通用框架。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Cheemeng Tan and his collaborator Professor Atul Parikh are developing new ways of monitoring real-time chemical changes in three-dimensional biofilms. These films are composed of aggregates of bacteria and are commonly found in nature. The Tan and Parikh groups use biofilms to model chemical sensing in other three-dimensional systems, including soft robots, engineered tissues, and chemical reactors. Integrated educational efforts entail creation and dissemination of teaching kits addressing the underlying scientific principles for middle and high school students in underserved communities. The research involves graduate and undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds, who participate in outreach programs in both formal and informal educational settings.Real-time measurements of chemical gradients inside three-dimensional environments at the micrometer scale are quite challenging. The Tan and Parikh groups are working to advance understanding of the fundamental principles impacting the use of artificial cells for monitoring chemical dynamics at the micrometer scale inside microbial biofilms. They are designing and creating artificial cells that mimic specific properties of living cells, including gene expression, signaling pathways, and membrane transport. Essentially, these artificial cells function as complete micro-scale processors that interpret chemical input signals from the environment and produce readout through fluorescent reporters. The research uses biofilms of Escherichia coli as a model system to create a generalizable framework for chemical sensing in other three-dimensional systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.