CREST HBCU-RISE: Engineered Renal Tissue using an Artificial Intelligence-Driven Approach

在科学与技术卓越研究中心的支持下，HBCU科学与工程研究基础设施(CREST HBCU-RISE)旨在提供关于如何将人工智能融入肾组织三维支架设计的基本理解。美国约有3700万人患有慢性肾脏疾病(CKD)。这种情况可能发展为终末期肾病(ESRD)，这是不可逆转的，只能通过透析或肾脏置换来治疗。透析有助于延长生命，但他们的生活质量可能会受到各种并发症的影响，如心脏病加速和感染率。替代疗法是另一种选择，但捐赠者严重短缺。该项目的重要性在于，它将为肾脏疾病设计更具功能的肾脏组织结构。该项目的目标是：使用人工智能驱动的方法设计和制造模拟肾脏的结构、组成和功能的三维水凝胶支架；了解支架的特性，如孔隙度、硬度和表面属性，对诱导多能干细胞向肾组织的黏附、形态和分化的影响。该项目还寻求为新的综合工程和生物科学博士项目的研究生提供跨学科的教育和培训机会。这将有助于提高该机构的研究质量，并有助于增加STEM工作人员的多样性。该项目计划的专业发展讲习班和社区外联活动可对提高阿拉巴马州立大学提供的研究生教育质量产生重大影响，还可有助于提高当地社区的科学意识和好奇心。调查结果将通过出版物、会议报告和该项目的网站进行传播。HBCU科学与工程研究基础设施(CREST HBCU-RISE)计划支持机构研究能力的扩展以及博士研究生的成功培养，特别是那些来自HBCUSTEM中代表性不足的群体的博士生。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。

With support from the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology HBCU Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (CREST HBCU-RISE) this project aims to provide a fundamental understanding of how to incorporate artificial intelligence in the design of 3-dimensional scaffolds for renal tissue. Approximately 37 million people in the US suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD). This condition can progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD), which is irreversible, and can only be treated by dialysis or kidney replacement. Dialysis helps a person extend their life however their quality of life can be affected by various complications such as accelerated cardiac disease and infection rates. Replacement therapy is another option, however there is a serious shortage of donors. The importance of this project is that it will enable the design of more functional kidney tissue constructs for renal diseases.The goals of the project are: to use an artificial intelligence-driven approach to design and fabricate 3-D hydrogel scaffolds that mimic the architecture, composition, and functionality of the kidney; and to understand the effect of scaffold characteristics such as porosity, stiffness, and surface properties, on adhesion, morphology, and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into renal tissue. The project also seeks to provide interdisciplinary education and training opportunities to graduate students in the new PhD program in Integrative Engineering and Biosciences. This will help improve the research quality of the institution and can contribute to increased diversity in the STEM workforce. Professional development workshops and community outreach activities planned in the project could have significant impact on improving the quality of the graduate education offered at Alabama State University and it can also contribute to increased scientific awareness and curiosity in the local community. Findings will be disseminated through publications, conference presentations and a website for the project. The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology HBCU Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (CREST HBCU-RISE) program supports the expansion of institutional research capacity as well as the successful training of doctoral students, especially those from groups underrepresented in STEM at HBCUs.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.