MRI: Acquisition of Artificial Resynthesis Technology for Research, Training, and Experiential Learning

该主要仪器补助金支持收购人工再合成技术（ART，林顿CNC），以建立芝加哥实验磨损（ChEW）实验室。ART是一种创新的咀嚼模拟器，可以准确地复制口腔环境的许多组成部分，包括温度，下颌运动，咬合力以及脸颊，舌头和唾液的动作。虽然最初是为人类牙科开发的，但这种ART将被定制为包括人类，非人类灵长类动物，其他哺乳动物和爬行动物的参数，从而对牙齿磨损的形成和后果有着无与伦比的了解，并最大限度地扩大跨芝加哥，中西部及其他地区的跨学科研究和教育的范围。ART的独特技术将汇集一个口腔生物学专家网络，该机构40%的学生认为自己来自历史上代表性不足的群体，66%的本科生是女性。它将为体验式学习需求高，但这种机会供应低的本科生提供重要的研究经验。ART还将用于通过各种虚拟和面对面的程序让K-12学生及其教师参与主动学习演示。ART将显著扩展临床和基础科学研究人员解决口腔生物学相关问题的能力。这些问题本质上是多学科的，汇集了牙医，人类学家，生物学家和工程师，以交叉传播思想，丰富教学和学习机会。具体来说，ART将有助于揭示外源性和饮食研磨剂对牙齿宏观和微观磨损的贡献，这是我们理解生物和文化适应的基础。另一个焦点将包括灵长类动物的口腔加工行为如何与食物几何形状（例如，尺寸）和食品材料性质（例如，韧性或硬度）。它还将提供深入了解牙齿设计和电机控制之间的关系，在脊椎动物喂养系统的演变。在临床上，ART将用于解开人类患者牙种植失败的生物和/或机械因素，以及现有和实验性牙科材料的磨损，如牙科氧化锆，牙科陶瓷和聚合物基修复材料。它将用于研究夜间磨牙（睡眠磨牙症）对牙齿磨损和牙科器械寿命的影响。除此之外，ART还将深入研究消化过程中口腔微生物组、pH值和唾液中酶活性的作用，以及微生物群的变化如何影响营养和健康。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

This Major Instrumentation Grant supports the acquisition of Artificial Resynthesis Technology (ART, Lynton CNC) to establish the Chicago Experimental Wear (ChEW) laboratory. ART is an innovative chewing simulator that accurately replicates the many components of the oral environment, including temperature, jaw movement, bite force, and the action of the cheeks, tongue, and saliva. Although originally developed for human dentistry, this ART will be customized to include parameters for humans, non-human primates, other mammals, and reptiles, allowing for an unparalleled understanding of the formation and ramifications of dental wear and maximizing the scope of interdisciplinary research and education across Chicago, the Midwest, and beyond. ART’s unique technology will bring together a network of oral biology specialists at an institution where 40% of students identify as being from historically underrepresented groups and 66% of undergraduates are female identifying. It will provide crucial research experiences to undergraduates where demand for experiential learning is high, but the supply of such opportunities is low. ART will also be used to engage K-12 students and their teachers in active learning demonstrations through various virtual and in-person programs.ART will significantly expand the ability of clinical and basic science researchers to address questions related to oral biology. These questions are multi-disciplinary in nature, bringing together dentists, anthropologists, biologists, and engineers to cross-pollinate ideas and enrich teaching and learning opportunities. Specifically, ART will help unravel the contributions of exogenous and dietary abrasives to dental macro- and microwear, fundamental to our understanding of biological and cultural adaptations through time. Another focus will include how primate oral processing behaviors change in relation to food geometry (e.g., size) and food material properties (e.g., toughness or hardness). It will also provide insight into the relationships between dental design and motor control during the evolution of vertebrate feeding systems. Clinically, ART will be used to unravel the biological and/or mechanical factors responsible for dental implant failures in human patients, and the wear of existing and experimental dental materials, such as dental zirconia, dental ceramics, and polymer-based restorative materials. It will be used to investigate the impact of nighttime grinding (sleep bruxism) on tooth wear and dental appliance longevity. Beyond this, ART will provide insight into the role of oral microbiomes, pH, and enzyme activity in the saliva during digestion, and how changes in the microbiota impact nutrition and health.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.