CRII: OAC: A Computational Framework for Studying Transport Phenomena in Complex Networks: From Biological Towards Sustainable and Resilient Engineering Networks

CRII：OAC：研究复杂网络中传输现象的计算框架：从生物网络到可持续和弹性工程网络

• 批准号: 2105012
• 负责人: Nariman Mahabadi
• 金额: $ 17.44万
• 依托单位: University of Akron
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-06-01 至 2023-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2105012&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CRII; OAC; Computational; Framework; Studying

Transport networks are found everywhere in living systems, from the veins in the leaves of plants to the networks in our bodies: the respiratory system that handles the flow of air, the circulatory system that carries nutrients through blood circulation, and the networks of nerves and brain cells that transport electrical impulses. Because biological networks are necessary for transporting essential resources (blood, oxygen, water, and nutrients), they are critical for health and survival. Therefore, there is a clear need to explore the fundamental principles of these networks to better predict how they will behave under unexpected conditions in order to prevent potential failures. Exploring the underlying mechanisms of biological flow will not only advance the current state of knowledge of biological transport networks but can provide exceptional opportunities to solve complex problems in discrete calculus, graph theory, and optimization. This would, in turn, lead to improvements in engineering transport networks that are critical for maintaining human life in ways that will make them more durable and operate with greater efficiency, from networks that are large in scale, such as traffic systems, irrigation and water delivery systems, and power grids to networks that are small in scale such as fuel cells, solar cells, or artificial organs. The computational framework developed in this project will advance our knowledge of biological vascular networks, which can lead to optimized bioinspired solutions for many engineering transport networks such as water distribution and drainage networks to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and more efficient drug delivery through the use of nanoparticles. Since the developed models for leaf venation networks in this project are critical to plant performance, the results can also enhance productivity of ecosystems and will have applications in agriculture. As such, this research project aligns with NSF’s mission to promote the progress of science and to advance national health, prosperity and welfare. This work incorporates multidisciplinary research collaborations that will make a significant contribution to education, outreach, and diversity by engaging undergraduate students, including underrepresented students, in research and incorporation of biology and engineering in outreach programs for K through 12 students.zOver billions of years of natural selection, nature has evolved complex topologies to solve a wide range of problems. A conspicuous class of such topologies are the ramified heterogeneous structures in numerous biological systems that transport resources, such as leaf venation networks, the root and axis system of plants, and the cardiovascular system of animals and humans. The evolution and function of such branched structures is not only critical for an organism’s survival and fitness but has also inspired scientists and engineers to improve the performance of many engineering flow networks such as fuel cells, solar cells and synthetic organs. The overall aim of this project is to 1) develop a robust and efficient computational framework to study transport phenomena in complex biological networks, 2) apply the framework to study the rules of nature that optimize mass and heat transfer in biological networks, and 3) assess the feasibility of bioinspired principles to design sustainable and resilient engineering networks. The proposed framework will enable the development of transformative models that not only advance our knowledge about underlying biophysical phenomena in highly heterogeneous biological networks but also provide new opportunities to apply bioinspired solutions for many engineering applications. The proposed research will result in a highly efficient and robust framework that enables (1) a fundamental understanding of the performance of complex biological transport networks and their biophysical characteristics and functions which are essential for survival, (2) an understanding of multiphysics coupled transport phenomena in highly heterogeneous biological networks, (3) an assessment of the resilience of networks to damage and varying fluxes and an understanding the underlying mechanisms and principles used by biological systems for optimization of cost and performance, and (4) assessment of the feasibility and scalability of the biological mechanisms as bioinspired solutions for practical engineering problems that range from micro to macro in scale.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.

在生命系统中，运输网络无处不在，从植物叶子的静脉到我们身体中的网络：处理空气流动的呼吸系统，通过血液循环携带营养物质的循环系统，以及神经和脑细胞的网络传输电脉冲。由于生物网络是运输基本资源（血液、氧气、水和营养物质）所必需的，因此它们对健康和生存至关重要。因此，显然需要探索这些网络的基本原理，以更好地预测它们在意外条件下的行为，以防止潜在的故障。探索生物流的潜在机制不仅将推进生物运输网络的知识现状，而且可以提供解决离散微积分，图论和优化中复杂问题的绝佳机会。这将反过来导致工程运输网络的改进，这些网络对维持人类生活至关重要，使其更加耐用，并以更高的效率运行，从大规模的网络，如交通系统，灌溉和供水系统，电网到小规模的网络，如燃料电池，太阳能电池或人造器官。在这个项目中开发的计算框架将推进我们对生物血管网络的了解，这可以为许多工程运输网络（如水分配和排水网络）提供优化的生物启发解决方案，以治疗心血管疾病，并通过使用纳米颗粒更有效地输送药物。由于本计画所发展的叶片脉络网络模型对植物的表现至关重要，因此其结果也可以提高生态系统的生产力，并将在农业上应用。因此，该研究项目符合NSF的使命，以促进科学的进步和促进国家的健康，繁荣和福利。这项工作结合了多学科的研究合作，这将对教育，推广和多样性做出重大贡献，通过让本科生，包括代表性不足的学生，参与研究，并将生物学和工程学纳入K到12名学生的推广计划中。一类引人注目的拓扑结构是许多生物系统中的分枝异质结构，如植物的叶脉网络，植物的根和轴系统，以及动物和人类的心血管系统。这种分支结构的进化和功能不仅对生物体的生存和健康至关重要，而且还激励科学家和工程师改善许多工程流网络的性能，如燃料电池，太阳能电池和合成器官。该项目的总体目标是：1）开发一个强大而有效的计算框架来研究复杂生物网络中的传输现象，2）应用该框架来研究优化生物网络中质量和热量传递的自然规律，3）评估生物启发原理设计可持续和弹性工程网络的可行性。拟议的框架将使变革性模型的发展，不仅推进我们的知识基础的生物物理现象在高度异质性的生物网络，但也提供了新的机会，许多工程应用生物启发的解决方案。拟议的研究将产生一个高效和强大的框架，使（1）对复杂生物运输网络的性能及其对生存至关重要的生物物理特性和功能的基本理解，（2）对高度异质生物网络中多物理耦合运输现象的理解，（3）评估网络对损害和变化通量的恢复能力，了解生物系统用于优化成本和性能的基本机制和原则，以及（4）评估生物机制的可行性和可扩展性，作为从微观到宏观规模的实际工程问题的生物启发解决方案。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为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。