ST2: Programmable Interfaces- Exploring the Intersection of Synthetic Biology, Biomaterials, and Soft Matter

该奖项支持方桌研讨会，其类型的第二个，探索合成生物学，生物材料和软物质的交集。继2018年12月在弗吉尼亚州亚历山大市举行的第一届生活接口研讨会取得成功之后，本次研讨会的主题方桌2 （ST2）是关于可编程接口的。尽管多年来合成生物学和生物材料/软物质作为独立的学科领域有了显著的增长，但利用合成生物学设计和合成新型生物材料的潜力还相对未开发。合成生物学承诺在自然细胞（微生物或哺乳动物细胞）中设计新的功能，以及自下而上构建从头开始的系统。生物材料，无论是化学合成的，工程的，还是由细胞自然分泌的，都可能具有一系列的生物技术和生物医学应用。自然界中无数的生物材料是由进化和自然选择产生的，为理解生物材料/软物质设计提供了丰富的实验平台。结合合成生物学方法编程所需生物输出的能力，探索合成生物学和生物材料的可编程接口的时机是合适的。Square-Table 1 （ST1）确定需要计算能力来分析该空间中的材料成分-属性关系，ST2将尝试通过引入计算建模器来丰富该界面的持续讨论。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The award supports a Square-Table workshop, the second of its kind, to explore the intersection of synthetic biology, biomaterials, and soft matter. Following the success of the first workshop on Living Interfaces held in Alexandria, VA in December 2018, the theme of this workshop, Square-Table 2 (ST2), is on Programmable Interfaces. Despite significant growth over the years in the areas of synthetic biology and biomaterials / soft matter as independent subjects, there exists relatively untapped potential to harness synthetic biology for design and synthesis of novel biomaterials. Synthetic biology promises to design new functionality in natural cells (both microbial or mammalian cells) as well as constructing de novo systems from the bottom-up. Biomaterials, whether chemically synthesized, engineered, or naturally secreted by cells may have a range of biotechnology and biomedical applications. The myriad of biomaterials in the natural world, arisen from evolution and natural selection, provides a rich testbed for understanding biomaterials / soft matter design. Combined with the ability of synthetic biology approaches to program desirable biological outputs, the timing to explore the programmable interface of synthetic biology and biomaterials is fitting. Square-Table 1 (ST1) identified a need for computational capabilities to analyze materials composition-property relationship in this space and ST2 will attempt to enrich the continuing discussion at this interface by also bringing in computational modelers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.