Self-disclosing protective materials using synthetic gene networks

能够准确报告其当前状况或其历史暴露于化学、生物或其他事件的材料，在提高用户决策能力方面提供了巨大的价值。这可能是，例如，一种织物在一种特定的化学物质存在时改变颜色，一种凝胶通过改变其粘度来指示金属腐蚀的早期开始，或者一条纸在生物提示存在时自毁。如果这种能力能够在不需要重新建模设备和工作实践的情况下增强现有基础设施，那么这种能力就更有价值了。在一个理想的世界里，这种设备是被动的——不需要用户的任何输入，除非他们被要求“自我披露”。最后，由于运输费用是任何现场部署的主要费用，因此使材料功能化的能力不产生任何额外的重量损失至关重要。在这个项目中，我们正在寻求利用生物工程师日益增长的能力来开发新的刺激反应基因网络-受到生物物种遗传多样性的启发-并将这些系统嵌入功能材料中。基因电路为这一应用提供了关键的好处：它们很轻，它们可以被编码以对一系列挑衅做出反应，它们可以输出颜色变化或其他容易感知的属性，以表明侮辱发生了。此外，基因回路编码在DNA中。过去十年的进步已经消除了传统基因克隆的需要，这意味着几乎任何DNA序列，无论是天然的还是合成的，都可以通过化学方法快速合成和组装。结合我们在无细胞基因表达方面的经验，这为探索DNA序列和功能之间的关系提供了一个无与伦比的机会。因此，该技术平台可用于开发任何数量的设备，这些设备具有对各种刺激作出反应的能力，可用于军事和平民的防御。我们的目标是利用这些技术在纸和水凝胶等材料中构建和优化几种概念验证（PoC）合成基因网络，长期目标是能够使纸板（例如用于弹出式庇护所）和水凝胶（例如允许纺织品和粘合剂的智能整理）等保护材料功能化。特别令人感兴趣的是结合两种高度敏感和可调技术的潜力：合成基因网络（sgn）和刺激反应水凝胶。这是因为，虽然刺激反应水凝胶本身提供了巨大的潜力，但它们所反应的刺激范围并没有生物系统所拥有的多样性和微妙性。构建复合SGN/水凝胶器件，其中信息从SGN到水凝胶流动，为两种技术之间的协同作用提供了令人兴奋的机会。然而，虽然这些技术将在受控的实验室条件下开发，但最终目标是在更广阔的世界中部署。这就提出了两个问题：第一个是实际问题——这些设备如何在远离实验科学家保护的可变条件下运行；第二，我们对在实验环境之外使用合成基因网络的反应是什么？我们能否确保这些设备的安全性从项目启动时起就是其设计的核心？这个项目将解决这两个问题。我们将为可用于本项目和更广泛的合成生物学社区的新基因制定安全标准；我们将继续与相关利益相关者（如dstl、Synthace和适当的商业合作伙伴）接触，以更好地了解翻译的障碍。

Materials that have the ability to accurately report their current condition or their historical exposure to chemical, biological or other events, offer immense value in enhancing the decision making capabilities of the user. This may be, for example, a fabric that changes colour in the presence of a particular chemical, a gel that alters its viscosity to indicate the early onset of metal corrosion, or a strip of paper that self-destructs in the presence of a biological cue. This ability is even more valuable if it augments current infrastructure without requiring re-modelling of equipment and working practises. In an ideal world such devices are passive - not necessitating any input from the user until, or unless, they are required to 'self-disclose'. Finally, given that transportation costs are a major expense in any field deployment, it is crucial that the ability to functionalise materials does not incur any additional weight penalty.In this project we are seeking to exploit the increasing ability of bioengineers to develop novel stimuli-responsive gene networks - inspired by the genetic diversity of biological species - and embed these systems in functional materials. Genetic circuits afford key benefits for this application: they are lightweight, they can be encoded to react to a range of provocations, and they can output colour changes or other easily perceived properties to signal that insult has occurred. Moreover, gene circuitry is encoded in DNA. Advances over the last decade have obviated the need for traditional gene cloning, meaning that almost any DNA sequence, natural or synthetic, can be chemically synthesised and assembled quickly. In conjunction with our experience of cell-free gene expression, this offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore the relationship between DNA sequence and function. This technological platform could therefore be used to develop any number of devices with the capability to respond to a wide range of stimuli, with applications in the defence of both military and civilian populations.Our aim is to use these technologies to build and optimise several proof of concept (PoC) synthetic gene networks in materials such as paper and hydrogels, with the longer term aim of being able to functionalise protective materials such as cardboard (for use in pop-up shelters, for example) and hydrogels (to allow the smart finishing of textiles and adhesives, for example). Of particular interest is the potential for combining two highly sensitive and tunable technologies: synthetic gene networks (SGNs) with stimuli responsive hydrogels. This is because, whilst stimuli responsive hydrogels offer great potential on their own, the range of stimuli to which they respond does not offer the variety and subtlety that biological systems possess. Building composite SGN/hydrogel devices, where information flows from SGN to hydrogel and back, provides an exciting opportunity for synergy between the two technologies.However, whilst these technologies will be developed within controlled laboratory conditions, the eventual aim is for their deployment in the wider world. This raises two issues: the first is practical - how will these devices operate in variable conditions, away from the protection of the experimental scientist; and second - what is our response to the use of synthetic gene networks outside of an experimental situation? Can we ensure that safety of these devices is central to their design from the point of project initiation? This project will address these two issues. We will set safety standards for novel gene that can be used in this project and in the wider synthetic biology community; and we will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders (e.g.Dstl, Synthace and appropriate commercial partners) to better understand the roadblocks to translation.