Collaborative Research: Hierarchically Assembled Viral-Synthetic Hybrid Microentities

该奖项由塔夫茨大学（牵头）和马萨诸塞州理工学院（非牵头）的材料研究部生物材料项目合作提案授予，旨在开发和理解一种新方法，用于制造具有生物传感能力的基于生物材料的微尺度实体。该项目是基于功能化的烟草花叶病毒（TMV）纳米模板与水凝胶微粒通过核酸杂交的分层，高通量组装。这种方法使纳米，生物和合成材料的无缝集成具有前所未有的密度，选择性，可编程性和定向控制。该项目的重要性在于，新的多路传感平台将通过高度可编程的生物化学相互作用将水凝胶颗粒与TMV的生物功能性整合在一起，以实现超越单个技术或两者相加的功能和性能。此外，该研究将为超越表面上病毒的2D图案并将其转移到3D粒子环境中铺平道路。该项目的广泛影响进一步加强了强大的教育组成部分，如广泛的招聘和本科生研究人员的交流，交流讲座和麻省理工学院和塔夫茨大学之间的共享研究经验。作为该项目的一部分，为K-12学生和教师提供的关于纳米技术和自组装的教育视频将通过该地区的公共广播电台在线提供，作为国家科学数字图书馆的一部分。以高通量能力同时分析复杂混合物中的多个目标分子的能力是一个尚未满足的挑战。该项目将通过整合无害的病毒模板和聚合物微粒来解决这个问题，以通过核酸杂交创建多路传感系统。这项研究对公众的一般健康和安全非常重要，因为该技术将为快速监测食品病原体、生物威胁和环境危害铺平新的道路。 这项研究还将导致设计新方法来处理病毒，以用作高附加值材料。公众的教育将进一步受益于这个项目，使大量的本科生和K-12学生接触到尖端的研究项目。此外，教育视频剪辑将免费提供给学生和科学教师在小学从国家科学数字图书馆。

This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Material Research for a Collaborative proposal from Tufts University (Lead) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (non Lead) is to develop and understand a new method for manufacturing of biomaterial-based microscale entities with biosensing capabilities. This project is based on the hierarchical, high-throughput assembly of functionalized tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanotemplates with hydrogel microparticles via nucleic acid hybridization. This approach enables seamless integration of nano-, bio- and synthetic materials with unprecedented density, selectivity, programmability and orientational control. The significance of the project is that the new multiplexed sensing platforms will integrate hydrogel particles with the biofunctionality of TMV via highly programmable biochemical interactions to achieve features and performances beyond what is possible with individual technologies or mere addition of the two. Furthermore, the research will pave the way for moving beyond 2D patterning of viruses on surfaces and move this into 3D particle environments. The broad impact of this project is further enhanced by strong educational components such as extensive recruitment and exchange of undergraduate researchers, exchange lectures and shared research experience between MIT and Tufts University. As a part if this project, educational videos on nanotechnology and self-assembly for K-12 students and teachers will be available online via a public radio station in the area as part of the National Science Digital Library.The ability to simultaneously assay for multiple target molecules in a complex mixture in a high-throughput capacity is an unmet challenge. This project will tackle this by integrating harmless viral templates and polymer microparticles to create multiplexed sensing systems by nucleic acid hybridization. This research is important for the general health and safety of the public in that the technology will pave new ways to rapidly monitor food pathogens, biological threats and environmental hazards. The research will also lead to ways in designing new methods to process viruses for use as high-value added materials. The education of the public will further benefit from this project by exposing a large number of undergraduate and K-12 students to cutting-edge research projects. In addition, educational video clips will be freely available to students and science teachers at grade schools from National Science Digital Library.