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

在HBCU科学与工程研究基础设施卓越研究中心（CREST HBCU- rise）的支持下，该项目旨在为如何将人工智能纳入肾脏组织三维支架的设计提供基本的理解。美国大约有3700万人患有慢性肾脏疾病（CKD）。这种情况可以发展为终末期肾脏疾病（ESRD），这是不可逆的，只能通过透析或肾脏替代治疗。透析可以帮助一个人延长他们的生命，但是他们的生活质量会受到各种并发症的影响，比如心脏病的加速和感染率。替代疗法是另一种选择，但是捐献者严重短缺。这个项目的重要性在于，它将使设计更多功能性肾脏组织结构用于肾脏疾病。该项目的目标是：使用人工智能驱动的方法来设计和制造3d水凝胶支架，模拟肾脏的结构、组成和功能；并了解支架特性，如孔隙度、硬度和表面特性，对诱导多能干细胞进入肾组织的粘附、形态和分化的影响。该项目还寻求为综合工程和生物科学新博士课程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劳动力的多样性。本项目计划的专业发展讲习班和社区外展活动可对提高阿拉巴马州立大学研究生教育的质量产生重大影响，也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、会议发言和项目网站传播。HBCU科学与工程研究基础设施卓越研究中心（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训，特别是那些来自HBCU STEM中代表性不足的群体的学生。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。

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.