Collaborative Research: Hierarchically Assembled Viral-Synthetic Hybrid Microentities

该奖项由塔夫茨大学(Lead)和麻省理工学院(Non Lead)材料研究部的生物材料计划联合提议，旨在开发和理解一种制造具有生物传感能力的基于生物材料的微型实体的新方法。该项目基于通过核酸杂交将功能化烟草花叶病毒(TMV)纳米模板与水凝胶微粒进行分级、高通量组装。这种方法实现了纳米、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。该项目的意义在于，新的复合传感平台将通过高度可编程的生化相互作用将水凝胶颗粒与TMV的生物功能相结合，以实现单独技术或仅将两者相加所无法实现的特性和性能。此外，这项研究将为超越表面上的2D病毒模式并将其转移到3D粒子环境中铺平道路。这一项目的广泛影响因强大的教育组成部分而进一步增强，例如广泛招聘和交流本科生研究人员、交换讲座以及麻省理工学院和塔夫茨大学之间分享研究经验。作为该项目的一部分，面向K-12学生和教师的纳米技术和自组装教育视频将作为国家科学数字图书馆的一部分，通过该地区的公共广播电台在线提供。在高通量能力下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解决的挑战。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，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很重要，因为这项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的方法来处理病毒，用作高附加值材料。通过让大量本科生和K-12学生接触尖端研究项目，公众的教育将进一步受益于这一项目。此外，国家科学数字图书馆将向小学学生和科学教师免费提供教育视频剪辑。

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.