GOALI/Collaborative Research: Instabilities and Local Strains in Engineered Cartilage Scaffold

这个GOALI合作研究项目的重点是软骨支架在外部载荷作用下的力学性能和变形。软质多孔支架通常用于促进细胞生长，用于治疗不同组织的修复和再生，包括软骨和骨。这些支架的孔洞促进了细胞的生长和营养物质的运输。这种软植入物在植入早期的机械功能主要由支架主导，支架必须承载所施加的载荷并保持其毛孔内细胞的完整性。结构不稳定性在柔软的多孔材料中经常遇到，既会损害支架的机械功能，也会损坏被包裹的细胞。研究成果将通过转化工程软骨支架来促进国民健康并改善数百万人的生活质量，以保持植入功能，防止细胞死亡，从而增加植入手术成功的可能性。此外，这个合作项目旨在通过康奈尔大学和约翰·霍普金斯大学的暑期外展项目吸引来自少数族裔的几名高中生和本科生。该项目整合了实验、理论和计算努力，以回答以下基本问题：(1)多孔支架的关键微观结构特征如何影响临界屈曲载荷和局部应变的分布；(2)母体胶原蛋白的机械性能如何影响支架的非线性响应；(3)符合要求的填充材料的非均匀分布如何影响弹性稳定的区域和模式。该研究计划包括对添加制造的复杂3D建筑进行实验，在微观尺度上进行最先进的变形映射，以及开发新的多尺度软结构复合材料模型，以捕捉材料非线性力学的所有方面。所开发的研究成果和预测工具将在涉及从生物工程和仿生系统到软机器人的多个软材料领域产生重大影响。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。

This Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) collaborative research project will focus on the mechanical properties and deformation of cartilage scaffolds under external loads. Soft porous scaffolds are commonly used to promote cell growth for therapeutic applications in the repair and regeneration of different tissues, including cartilage and bone. The porosity of these scaffolds facilitates cell growth and the transport of nutrients. The mechanical function of such soft implants during the early stage of implantation is dominated by the scaffold that has to carry the applied load and maintain the integrity of cells within its pores. Structural instabilities, often encountered in soft porous materials, can both compromise the mechanical function of the scaffolds as well as damage the encapsulated cells. The research outcomes will advance national health and improve the quality of life for millions of people by transforming engineered cartilage scaffolds in order to maintain implant functionality, prevent cell death, and thus increase the probability of a successful implantation procedure. Furthermore, this collaborative project aims to engage several high-school and undergraduate students from underrepresented minorities through summer outreach programs at Cornell University and Johns Hopkins.This project integrates experimental, theoretical, and computational efforts in order to answer the following fundamental questions: (1) how do key microstructural characteristics of the porous scaffold affect the critical buckling load and the distribution of local strains; (2) how do the mechanical properties of the parent collagen influence the nonlinear response of the scaffolds; (3) how does a non-homogeneous distribution of a compliant filler material affect regions and modes of elastic stability. The research plan involves experiments on additively manufactured complex 3D architectures, state-of-the-art deformation mapping at the microscale, and the development of novel multiscale models of soft architected composites that capture all aspects of the material nonlinear mechanics. The research findings and predictive tools developed will have significant impact in several areas involving soft materials ranging from biological engineering and biomimetic systems to soft robotics.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.