CAREER: Creation of Complex Biomimetic Materials via Molecular Recognition

康涅狄格大学材料研究部生物材料项目颁发的这一职业奖旨在创造新一代基于新型水凝胶的类组织生物材料，这种水凝胶具有核酸适配体的功能，可以作为细胞外基质的合成模拟物。能够概括自然组织的复杂功能的生物材料不仅可以提供对生物系统的更深入的了解，而且还可以提供多种应用，如组织修复或器官再生。拟议的研究包括合成和表征用核酸适体功能化的聚合物和水凝胶；亲和聚合物与不同界面靶标的分子识别研究并研究适配体和分子触发器在调节水凝胶中多种信号分子释放中的作用。来自组织样生物材料的众多信号的协调被期望决定细胞是否经历增殖、迁移、分化或其他关键功能。透过教育活动，激发学生对理工科的热情和兴趣；鼓励不同水平的学生学习尖端的纳米生物技术和21世纪的技能；并使纳米生物技术知识不仅广泛传播给该领域的学者和学生，而且也传播给公众和未来的学生。组织丧失或器官衰竭是生物医学领域最具挑战性的健康问题之一。组织工程与再生医学是一个应用多学科原理共同研究组织修复或器官再生的新兴领域。然而，该领域面临的挑战之一是创造新的材料，这些材料有望模仿人体组织的复杂结构和功能。拟议的研究旨在开发具有多种特征的类组织材料，包括与人类细胞的通信。这些具有官能团的合成聚合物具有刺激组织修复或器官再生的强大潜力。教育推广工作将与各种教学和推广活动相结合，例如培训高中学生和教师、开发和教学新课程以及建立一个普及纳米生物技术知识的科普网站。从K-12到研究生的不同层次的学生将在一个鼓励和合作的环境中进行研究，学习尖端的纳米生物技术和其他相关的科学和工程领域。

This Career award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to University of Connecticut aims to create a new generation of tissue-like biomaterials based on novel hydrogels that are functionalized with nucleic acid aptamers for potential use of these hydrogels as synthetic mimics of extracellular matrix. Biomaterials that can recapitulate complex functions of natural tissues will not only provide a deeper insight into biological systems, but also offer a variety of applications such as tissue repair or organ regeneration. The proposed studies include synthesis and characterization of polymers and hydrogels that are functionalized with nucleic acid aptamers; study of the molecular recognition between affinity polymers and their targets at different interfaces; and investigation of the roles of aptamers and molecular triggers in regulating the release of multiple signal molecules from hydrogels. The coordination of numerous signals from the tissue-like biomaterials is expected to determine whether cells undergo proliferation, migration, differentiation, or other critical functions. The educational activities will be pursued to stimulate prospective students' passion and interests in science and engineering; encourage the students of different levels to learn both cutting-edge nanobiotechnology techniques and 21st century skill sets; and enable the broad dissemination of nanobiotechnology knowledge not only to scholars and students in the field, but also to the general public and prospective students.Tissue loss or organ failure is one of the most challenging health problems in the biomedical field. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is a promising field that applies the principles of multiple disciplines together towards tissue repair or organ regeneration. However, one of the challenges in this field is the creation of novel materials that are expected to mimic the complex structures and functionality of human tissues. The proposed research is designed to develop tissue-like materials that possess multiple features including communication with human cells. These synthetic polymers with functional groups hold strong potential of stimulating tissue repair or organ regeneration. The educational outreach efforts will be coupled with diverse teaching and outreach activities such as the training of high-school students and teachers, the development and teaching of a new course, and the establishment of a popular science website for the dissemination of nanobiotechnology knowledge. The students of different levels from K-12 to graduate studies will pursue research in an encouraging and collaborative environment, learning cutting-edge nanobiotechnology and other related fields in sciences and engineering.