Northwestern University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

非技术描述：西北大学材料研究科学与工程中心(NU-MRSEC)通过该中心内部以及与国内外学术界、工业界、国家实验室和博物馆的外部合作伙伴的积极跨学科合作，推动世界一流的材料研究、教育和推广。NU-MRSEC的学术价值主要存在于其跨学科研究小组(IRGS)和探索材料研究前沿的种子资助项目中。名为《通过无细胞合成生物学的生物可编程材料》的IRG-1开发了软复合材料，这种材料在无细胞平台上结合了生物机械，从而消除了对活组织的营养和护理需求。通过这种方式，生命生物系统的功能是在一种自主材料中实现的，对可持续农业、水处理、智能服装和伤口愈合有直接影响。IRG-2题为“通过动态混合离子/电子导体进行协调的电子学”，设计了同时传导离子和电子的材料，其行为方式模仿生物神经元。因此，这些离子/电子混合导体能够实现大脑启发的计算，从而加速人工智能、机器人和生物电子学的进步。通过将这些研究进展纳入创新教育学，NU-MRSEC通过研究生和博士后的专业发展、本科生和教师的研究经验以及与K-12学生和普通公众的接触，实现了广泛的影响。这些活动通过与阿贡国家实验室、芝加哥艺术研究所、芝加哥科学与工业博物馆、芝加哥自然历史田野博物馆、芝加哥公立学校和芝加哥城市大学的合作伙伴关系得到加强。技术描述：西北大学材料研究科学与工程中心(NU-MRSEC)通过两个跨学科研究小组(IRGS)以及与国内外学术界、工业界、国家实验室和博物馆的外部合作伙伴，整合了材料研究、教育和推广。题为“通过无细胞合成生物学实现生物可编程材料”的IRG-1开发了软活性材料，这种材料将生物机械结合到人造细胞中，消除了对活细胞的需求和限制。这些生物可编程材料具有自主性能，如自我修复、按需释放货物、动态力学性能调节、生物矿化和形状变形。通过在无细胞合成材料中实现生物系统的自适应多功能，IRG-1加速了可持续农业、软机器人、水处理、智能服装和伤口愈合方面的进步。IRG-2名为“通过动态混合离子/电子导体的协调电子技术”，设计了混合离子和电子传输现象的材料，实现了有效实施人工智能的神经形态功能。通过了解和控制有机材料和无机层状材料之间的相互作用，IRG-2实现了协同离子属性，包括多时间尺度突触增强和可塑性，模拟神经元尖峰的非线性反应，以及刺激诱导的结构调制，以提供感觉转导、选择性和适应。NU-MRSEC的研究为一套全面的教育和外联活动提供了信息，这些活动不仅是为特定人群(普通公众、K-12、本科生、研究生、博士后)设计的，还包括引导学生沿着发展道路前进的桥梁计划，从而增加各级参与者的数量和多样性。这些努力通过企业伙伴关系和创业公司、广泛的共享设施以及与阿贡国家实验室、芝加哥艺术学院、芝加哥科学与工业博物馆、芝加哥自然历史田野博物馆、芝加哥公立学校和芝加哥城市大学的定期互动而得到加强。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。

Nontechnical Description:The Northwestern University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NU-MRSEC) advances world-class materials research, education, and outreach via active interdisciplinary collaborations within the Center and with external partners in academia, industry, national laboratories, and museums, both domestically and abroad. The intellectual merit of the NU-MRSEC resides primarily within its interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs) and seed-funded projects that explore the frontiers of materials research. IRG-1 entitled “Bioprogrammable Materials via Cell-Free Synthetic Biology” develops soft composite materials that incorporate biological machinery in a cell-free platform, thus removing the nourishment and care demands of living tissue. In this manner, the functionality of living biological systems are achieved in an autonomous material with direct implications for sustainable agriculture, water treatment, smart clothing, and wound healing. IRG-2 entitled “Orchestrated Iontronics via Dynamic Hybrid Ionic/Electronic Conductors” designs materials that concurrently conduct ions and electrons, behaving in a manner that mimics biological neurons. These hybrid ionic/electronic conductors thus enable brain-inspired computation that is accelerating advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and bioelectronics. By incorporating these research advances into innovative pedagogy, the NU-MRSEC achieves broad impact through professional development of graduate students and postdocs, research experiences for undergraduates and teachers, and outreach to K-12 students and the general public. These activities are enhanced by partnerships with Argonne National Laboratory, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago City Colleges.Technical Description:The Northwestern University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NU-MRSEC) integrates materials research, education, and outreach through two interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs) and with external partners in academia, industry, national laboratories, and museums, both domestically and abroad. IRG-1 entitled “Bioprogrammable Materials via Cell-Free Synthetic Biology” develops soft active materials that incorporate biological machinery into artificial cells that eliminate the need for, and constraints of, living cells. These bioprogrammable materials possess autonomous properties such as self-healing, on-demand cargo release, dynamic mechanical property modulation, biomineralization, and shape-morphing. By achieving the adaptive multi-functionality of biological systems in a cell-free synthetic material, IRG-1 accelerates advances in sustainable agriculture, soft robotics, water treatment, smart clothing, and wound healing. IRG-2 entitled “Orchestrated Iontronics via Dynamic Hybrid Ionic/Electronic Conductors” designs materials with mixed ionic and electronic transport phenomena that realize neuromorphic functionality for efficiently implementing artificial intelligence. By understanding and controlling the interplay between organic materials and inorganic layered materials, IRG-2 achieves synergistic iontronic attributes including multi-timescale synaptic potentiation and plasticity, non-linear responses that emulate neuronal spiking, and stimuli-induced structure modulation to provide sensory transduction, selectivity, and adaptation. The research of the NU-MRSEC informs a comprehensive set of education and outreach activities that are not only designed for specific cohorts (general public, K-12, undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs) but also bridge programs that shepherd students along the development pathway, thereby increasing the number and diversity of participants at all levels. These efforts are augmented by corporate partnerships and startup companies, extensive shared facilities, and regular interactions with Argonne National Laboratory, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago City Colleges.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.