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

这项主要仪器拨款支持人工再合成技术（ART, Lynton CNC）的收购，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，它精确地复制了口腔环境的许多组成部分，包括温度、颌骨运动、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，允许对牙齿磨损的形成和后果进行无与伦比的理解，并最大限度地扩大跨学科研究和教育的范围，跨越芝加哥，中西部和其他地区。ART的独特技术将汇集口腔生物学专家网络，该机构40%的学生被认为来自历史上代表性不足的群体，66%的本科生被认为是女性。它将为本科生提供至关重要的研究经验，因为那里对体验式学习的需求很高，但这种机会的供应很低。ART还将通过各种虚拟和面对面的课程，让K-12学生和他们的老师参与到积极的学习演示中来。ART将极大地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，将牙医、人类学家、生物学家和工程师聚集在一起，相互交流思想，丰富教学机会。具体来说，ART将有助于揭示外源性和膳食磨料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。另一个重点将包括灵长类动物的口腔加工行为如何随着食物的几何形状（例如，大小）和食物材料的性质（例如，韧性或硬度）而变化。它还将提供深入了解在脊椎动物喂养系统进化过程中牙齿设计和运动控制之间的关系。在临床上，ART将用于揭示导致人类患者种植牙失败的生物和/或机械因素，以及现有和实验性牙科材料（如牙科氧化锆、牙科陶瓷和聚合物基修复材料）的磨损。它将用于调查夜间磨牙（睡眠磨牙）对牙齿磨损和牙科器具寿命的影响。除此之外，抗逆转录病毒技术还将深入了解消化过程中口腔微生物群、pH值和唾液酶活性的作用，以及微生物群的变化如何影响营养和健康。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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.