I-Corps: Oxygen-controlling Cryogels for Cell Culture Applications

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是探索一个新平台的用途，该平台有助于研究不同氧气水平的细胞培养。氧是细胞生命和发育的一个重要因素，在常规培养条件下通常不受控制，但对于特定的研究，必须保持低氧水平。例如，低氧水平有助于研究人员研究疾病、人体组织甚至生物过程。其他过程，如消化系统疾病、一些传染病和人体微生物群，在没有氧气的情况下进行研究。目前进行这些细胞培养技术的技术要么不充分，要么负担沉重，要么过于昂贵，无法广泛使用。这项拟议的技术是一种紧凑且负担得起的细胞培养氧气控制平台。这个i-Corps项目是基于氧控制冷冻细胞培养平台的开发。冷冻凝胶是一种先进类型的水凝胶，具有一套独特的物理特性，包括互连的微孔3D网络、形状记忆功能，并且是注射器可注射的。低氧压(即低氧)与某些组织和疾病有关，厌氧细胞培养对于研究胃肠道疾病、传染病和人体微生物群是必不可少的。这项拟议的技术是一种紧凑且经济实惠的氧气控制冰箱平台，直接在蜂窝环境中创造氧气控制条件。该奖项反映了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。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to explore the uses of a new platform useful for studying cell cultures with different oxygen levels. Oxygen, an important factor for cell life and development, is typically not controlled in conventional culture conditions, but for specific studies low oxygen levels must be maintained. For instance, low oxygen levels help researchers study diseases, human tissues and even biological processes. Other processes, such as disorders of the digestive system, some infectious diseases, and the human microbiome, are studied with no oxygen. Current technologies for performing these cell culture techniques are either inadequate, burdensome or too expensive for widespread use. The proposed technology is a compact and affordable oxygen-controlling platform for cell cultures. This I-Corps project is based on the development of an oxygen-controlling cryogel cell culture platform. Cryogels are an advanced type of hydrogels with a unique set of physical properties, including an interconnected and microporous 3D network, shape memory features, and are syringe injectable. Low oxygen tension (i.e., hypoxia) is associated with some tissues and diseases, and anaerobic cell culture is essential for studying gastrointestinal disorders, infectious diseases and the human microbiome. The proposed technology is a compact and affordable oxygen-controlling cryogel platform that creates oxygen-controlled conditions directly within the cellular environment.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.