Rational Design of Novel Collagen-Based Biomaterials

该奖项由加州大学欧文分校材料研究部生物材料项目授予，旨在利用研究人员为此项目开发的重组酵母系统，采用新型“自下而上”策略合成胶原样聚合物及其模拟物。这种方法预计将允许前所未有的灵活性的范围内的独立的生物和材料特性，可以纳入工程生物聚合物。创造可以指导细胞活性的新人工支架的能力是促进再生医学，疾病治疗和机械细胞研究等许多领域的关键组成部分。由于胶原蛋白是细胞外基质中最丰富的蛋白质，并且它与细胞动态相互作用，因此基于胶原蛋白的聚合物可能比纯合成系统更好地模拟天然特征。作为该项目的一部分，研究人员将引入非天然半胱氨酸交联位点和基质金属蛋白酶蛋白水解结构域，并将研究它们对胶原结构，机械性能，分子转运特性和细胞反应的影响。该项目将作为一个理想的平台，培养本科生和研究生在科学和工程。学生们将通过这一跨学科的合作，对传统的不同领域之间的重要协同作用有一个综合的认识。创造能够模拟生物基质并表现出广泛的新特性的新型材料的能力，对于推进再生医学和疾病治疗等健康相关研究至关重要。胶原蛋白是一种丰富的天然蛋白质，与周围细胞动态相互作用。通过制造天然胶原蛋白的模拟物，研究人员将研究新的机械，结构和生物响应生物材料的范围和适用性。这可以导致更好地了解这些材料如何用于疾病治疗。该项目将作为一个理想的平台，培养本科生和研究生在科学和工程。由于这种合作的跨学科性质，参与这项研究的学生将获得一个综合的角度来看，现在需要一个国家的最先进的研究传统的不同领域之间的重要协同作用。除了对学生进行实践培训外，这项拟议工作的成果也将纳入研究生课程。

This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to University of California-Irvine is to synthesize collagen-like polymers and their mimics utilizing a novel "bottom-up" strategy using recombinant yeast system that was developed by the investigators for this project. This approach is expected to allow unprecedented flexibility in the range of independent biological and material properties that can be incorporated in the engineered biopolymers. The ability to create new artificial scaffolds that can direct the activity of cells is a critical component of furthering a number of areas such as regenerative medicine, therapies for disease, and mechanistic cell studies. Since collagen is the most abundant protein in the extracellular matrix and it dynamically interacts with cells, a collagen-based polymer could potentially mimic natural characteristics that are better than purely synthetic systems. As part of this project, investigators will introduce non-native cysteine cross-linking sites and matrix metalloproteinase proteolytic domains, and will examine their effects on collagen architecture, mechanical properties, molecular transport characteristics, and cell-based responses. The project will serve as an ideal platform to train both undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering. Students participating in this interdisciplinary collaboration will gain an integrated perspective of the important synergies between traditionally diverse fields.The capability to create novel materials which can mimic biological matrices and exhibit a broad range of new properties is especially critical in advancing health-related research such as regenerative medicine and therapies for disease. Collagen is an abundant, natural protein which dynamically interacts with its surrounding cells. By fabricating mimics of natural collagen, the investigators will examine the scope and applicability of new mechanical, structural, and biologically-responsive biomaterials. This can lead to a better understanding of how such materials can be used in disease treatment. The project will serve as an ideal platform to train both undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this collaboration, students participating in this research will gain an integrated perspective of the important synergies among traditionally diverse fields that are now needed for a state-of-the-art research. In addition to hands-on training for students, the results from this proposed work will also be incorporated into graduate courses.