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

这笔重大仪器设备拨款支持收购人工再合成技术公司(ART，Lynton CNC)，以建立芝加哥实验磨损(CHEW)实验室。ART是一款创新的咀嚼模拟器，可以准确地模拟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而开发的，但这项技术将进行定制，以包括人类、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无与伦比的了解，并最大限度地扩大芝加哥、中西部和其他地区的跨学科研究和教育的范围。ART的独特技术将在该机构汇聚口腔生物学专家网络，在该机构，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。它将为本科生提供关键的研究经验，这些本科生对体验式学习的需求很高，但这种机会的供应量很低。ART还将用于通过各种虚拟和面对面的项目吸引K-12学生和他们的老师进行积极的学习演示。ART将显著扩展临床和基础科学研究人员解决与口腔生物学有关的问题的能力。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，相互授粉，丰富教学机会。具体地说，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，这对于我们理解随着时间的推移而进行的生物和文化适应是基本的。另一个重点将包括灵长类的口腔加工行为如何随着食物几何形状(例如大小)和食物材料特性(例如韧性或硬度)的变化而变化。它还将提供对脊椎动物进食系统进化过程中牙齿设计和运动控制之间的关系的洞察。在临床上，ART将用于揭示导致人类患者种植失败的生物和/或机械因素，以及现有和实验牙科材料的磨损，如牙科氧化锆、牙科陶瓷和聚合物基修复体材料。它将被用来调查夜间磨牙(睡眠磨牙)对牙齿磨损和牙具寿命的影响。除此之外，ART将深入了解消化过程中口腔微生物群、pH和唾液中酶活性的作用，以及微生物区系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 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.