Materials World Network: Switchable Polymer Interfaces for Bottom-up Stimulation of Mammalian Cells

技术摘要：本项目的重点是设计和表征由功能化混合聚合物刷组成的响应性聚合物薄膜平台，用于功能分子在界面上的刺激触发暴露。该项目支持由克莱姆森大学、克拉克森大学、加州大学戴维斯分校、德累斯顿技术大学、德累斯顿莱布尼茨聚合物研究所、Göttingen大学和莱布尼茨分析科学研究所（柏林）组成的国际美德研究团队，该团队由聚合物/表面/材料科学和生物工程专家组成。德国参与者的资金支持由德国科学基金会（DFG）提供。具有动态变化界面特性的响应性高分子材料由于其在生物医学应用方面的巨大潜力而受到越来越多的关注。这类材料的一个重要特性是能够在接收到外部信号时呈现、释放、隐藏或捕获不同的官能团。因此，建议开发和研究响应式混合刷平台，用于刺激触发的可编程接口暴露对干细胞存活和分化至关重要的功能分子（如生长因子）。具体而言，实验工作的重点是：(a)精确设计和合成功能性混合聚合物刷；(b)综合研究功能化混合刷的微观结构和刺激触发的动态变化；(c)功能化混合电刷系统与功能化探针的动态相互作用研究；(e)开发多功能动态生物界面。该研究还有望确定如何使用不同的刺激，如温度、磁场和电信号，来引入混合刷生物界面的局部变化，并导致功能分子的暴露。实验研究将与使用三种互补技术的粗粒度理论建模并行：(a)自洽场（SCF）计算，(b)平均场单链模拟和分子动力学，以及(c)现象学缩放考虑。摘要：该跨学科项目旨在通过使用新型刺激响应聚合物基质来影响细胞生物学和生物技术领域的聚合物材料。该项目通过跨学科的学生培训和在课程中引入新的教育模块，为整合研究和教育提供了广泛的机会。研究人员计划让本科生和研究生参与拟议的研究，并训练他们获得(i)纳米制造技术的专业知识，（ii）熟悉材料化学的现代概念，（iii）合成和表征纳米结构聚合物材料和生物界面的能力，（iv）进行实验、收集数据和发现的能力，以及(v)撰写科学论文和进行有效技术演示的能力。学生也将从参与的美国和德国研究机构之间的广泛合作中受益匪浅。

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT:This project focuses on design and characterization of a responsive thin polymer film platform comprised of functionalized mixed polymer brushes for the stimuli-triggered exposure of functional molecules to interfaces. The project supports an international US-German research team from Clemson University, Clarkson University, University of California in Davis, Dresden Technical University, Leibniz-Institute for Polymer Research Dresden, University of Göttingen, and Leibniz-Institute for Analytical Sciences (in Berlin) consisting of experts in polymer/surface/materials science and bioengineering. Financial support for the German participants is provided by the German Science Foundation (DFG). Responsive polymer materials with dynamically changing interfacial properties are receiving increased interest, thanks to their great potential for biomedical applications. One of the important properties of such materials is the capability to present, to release, to hide, or to capture different functional groups upon receiving external signals. Therefore, it is proposed to develop and study the responsive mixed brush platform for stimuli-triggered, programmable interfacial exposure of functional molecules (e.g., growth factors) that are important for the survival and differentiation of stem cells. Specifically, the focus of the experimental work is on: (a) precise design and synthesis of functional mixed polymer brushes; (b) comprehensive study of the microstructure and stimuli-triggered dynamical changes in the functionalized mixed brushes; (c) study of the dynamic interactions of the functionalized mixed brush system with functionalized probes; and (e) development of multifunctional dynamic biointerfaces. It is also expected to determine how different stimuli such as temperature, magnetic field, and electrical signals can be used to introduce local changes in the mixed brush biointerface and result in exposure of the functional molecules. The experimental studies will be paralleled by a coarse-grained theoretical modeling using three complementary techniques: (a) self-consistent field (SCF) calculations, (b) single-chain-in-mean-field simulations and molecular dynamics, and (c) phenomenological scaling considerations. NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT:This interdisciplinary project is aimed to impact the field of polymeric materials for cell biology and biotechnology through the use of novel stimuli-responsive polymeric substrates. The project provides extensive opportunities to integrate research and education through cross-disciplinary student training and introduction of new educational modules in the curriculum. The investigators plan to involve both undergraduate and graduate students in the proposed research and to train them to gain (i) expertise in nanofabrication techniques, (ii) familiarity with modern concepts in materials chemistry, (iii) the ability to synthesize and characterize nanostructured polymeric materials and biointerfaces, (iv) the ability to run experiments, gather data, and make discoveries, and (v) the ability to write scientific papers and make effective technical presentations. Students also will greatly benefit from their extensive collaborations among the participating US and German research institutions.