Associating Structure and Rheology of Bacterial Polysaccharides

非技术：该奖项由密歇根大学安娜堡分校材料研究部的生物材料项目颁发，由土木、机械和制造创新（ENG）部门的材料力学项目共同资助。这项研究旨在了解聚合物的基本水性特性，并将影响以水为溶剂的天然和可持续材料的发展。关于水性聚合物稳定性和流动的新知识将在这些聚合物被发现或消耗的领域有用。例如，水性聚合物，特别是细菌多糖，与医院、废水处理厂和工业设施中细菌生物膜的增殖和控制有关。细菌多糖的稳定性、结构和机理对生产含有或添加细菌多糖的食品也很重要。随附的教育计划将通过模拟使用指导计划作为一种机制来提高所有学生完成博士学位的可能性，从而提高国家对STEM培训的兴趣。项目研究员参与本科生暑期研究体验项目，将增加来自科学和工程领域代表性不足群体的学生的参与。该项目开发了一个关于多糖食品添加剂的新模块，将吸引中学女生参与科学和工程，从而培养她们对STEM领域的兴趣。技术：细菌多糖是一类重要的水溶性聚合物，存在于各种自然环境和工业环境中。细菌多糖的化学结构和性质极其多样。然而，这些材料的功能流变特性是由细菌多糖作为聚合物和作为伴生物质之间的相互作用广泛介导的。同时，由于细菌多糖具有电荷可控、氢键和疏水性等特点，基因工程和化学替代技术使其成为基础研究的有用聚合物。因此，通过对细菌多糖的基础研究，可以更好地理解所有水溶性聚合物的结合结构和流变性之间的联系。该项目将通过光散射、微流变学和本构建模三个研究目标来产生这种新的认识。这项研究将伴随着一项教育计划，包括研究生培训和指导。该奖项的一部分奖励是PI参加暑期研究机会项目和吸引中学女生参与科学和工程的推广活动。

Nontechnical: This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to University of Michigan Ann Arbor is cofunded by the Mechanics of Materials program in the Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation (ENG). This research is to understand the fundamental water-borne properties of polymers, and will impact the development of natural and sustainable materials that use water as a solvent. The new knowledge about aqueous polymer stability and flow will be useful in areas in which these polymers are found or consumed. For example, aqueous polymers generally, and bacterial polysaccharides in particular, are relevant to the proliferation and control of bacterial biofilms in hospitals, in wastewater treatment plants, and in industrial facilities. The stability, structure, and mechanics of bacterial polysaccharides are also important for producing foods in which they are present or added. The accompanying educational plan will advance the national interest in STEM training by modeling the use of mentoring plans as a mechanism to increase the probability of doctoral completion of all students. The project researcher's engagement in a summer research experience program for undergraduates will increase the participation of students from groups underrepresented in science and engineering. The project's development of a new module about polysaccharide food additives will engage middle school girls in science and engineering, and thereby foster their interest in STEM areas.Technical: Bacterial polysaccharides are an important class of aqueous soluble polymer found in a range of natural environments and industrial contexts. The chemical structure and properties of bacterial polysaccharides are extremely diverse. Yet, the functional rheological properties of these materials are broadly mediated by the interplay between the bacterial polysaccharide's properties as a polymer and as an associating species. At the same time, genetic engineering and chemical substitution make bacterial polysaccharides useful polymers for fundamental study because of their controllable charge, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobicity. Thus, the connection between the associative structure and rheology of all aqueous soluble polymers can be better understood by fundamental study of bacterial polysaccharides. This project will generate this new understanding through three research aims that involve light scattering, microrheology, and constitutive modeling. This research will be accompanied by an educational plan that involves graduate student training and mentoring. The participation of the PI in a summer research opportunities program and in outreach activities that engage middle school girls in science and engineering is part of this award.