ST2: Programmable Interfaces- Exploring the Intersection of Synthetic Biology, Biomaterials, and Soft Matter

该奖项支持一个方形桌子研讨会，这是第二个此类研讨会，旨在探索合成生物学，生物材料和软物质的交叉点。继2018年12月在弗吉尼亚州亚历山大市举行的第一次生活界面研讨会取得成功之后，本次研讨会的主题是可编程接口。尽管多年来合成生物学和生物材料/软物质作为独立学科的领域取得了显着增长，但利用合成生物学设计和合成新型生物材料存在相对未开发的潜力。合成生物学有望在天然细胞（包括微生物或哺乳动物细胞）中设计新的功能，以及自下而上构建从头系统。生物材料，无论是化学合成，工程，或自然分泌的细胞可能有一系列的生物技术和生物医学应用。 自然界中无数的生物材料，源于进化和自然选择，为理解生物材料/软物质设计提供了丰富的试验平台。结合合成生物学方法编程所需生物输出的能力，探索合成生物学和生物材料的可编程接口的时机是合适的。正方形表1（ST 1）确定了需要计算能力来分析材料的成分-属性关系，在这个空间和ST 2将试图通过引入计算建模来丰富在这个接口的持续讨论。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The award supports a Square-Table workshop, the second of its kind, to explore the intersection of synthetic biology, biomaterials, and soft matter. Following the success of the first workshop on Living Interfaces held in Alexandria, VA in December 2018, the theme of this workshop, Square-Table 2 (ST2), is on Programmable Interfaces. Despite significant growth over the years in the areas of synthetic biology and biomaterials / soft matter as independent subjects, there exists relatively untapped potential to harness synthetic biology for design and synthesis of novel biomaterials. Synthetic biology promises to design new functionality in natural cells (both microbial or mammalian cells) as well as constructing de novo systems from the bottom-up. Biomaterials, whether chemically synthesized, engineered, or naturally secreted by cells may have a range of biotechnology and biomedical applications. The myriad of biomaterials in the natural world, arisen from evolution and natural selection, provides a rich testbed for understanding biomaterials / soft matter design. Combined with the ability of synthetic biology approaches to program desirable biological outputs, the timing to explore the programmable interface of synthetic biology and biomaterials is fitting. Square-Table 1 (ST1) identified a need for computational capabilities to analyze materials composition-property relationship in this space and ST2 will attempt to enrich the continuing discussion at this interface by also bringing in computational modelers.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.