CCI Phase I: NSF Center for Genomically Encoded Materials (C-GEM)

开发由确定的单体序列组成的聚合物的合成路线是当前化学领域的一个挑战。蛋白质是天然聚合物，是由活细胞容易而有效地组合在一起的特定氨基酸序列。美国国家科学基金会基因组编码材料中心（C-GEM）采用了一种受生物启发的方法，通过重新设计细胞系统来制造一系列合成聚合物。在这种情况下，细胞成为一个新的翻译机器，合成新的化学聚合物的特定序列和长度。NSF C-GEM建立了一个新的化学变革领域，并促进了化学-生物-材料前沿的创新。具有新特性的新材料的应用范围从信息存储到防伪和药物输送，从环境修复到药物发现。NSF C-GEM让科学家和非科学家参与各种研究和教育活动，包括改善与公众的沟通。这些教育和参与计划将研究与培训相结合，以建立多样化的化学劳动力。NSF C-GEM提供了一个新的在线平台和数据管理系统GEM-Net，以促进研究团队内部和外部的数据共享。NSF C-GEM还在开发一个在线视频游戏，允许公民科学家参与研究过程并跟踪结果。美国国家科学基金会基因组编码材料中心（NSF C-GEM）专注于制备聚合物的挑战，其单体和分散性由蛋白质样控制来定义。序列定义聚合物在信息存储、防伪、药物输送、环境修复甚至药物发现方面具有非凡的潜力，但制备它们的策略几乎处于起步阶段。NSF C-GEM的方法通过重新利用大肠杆菌翻译装置合成序列定义的化学聚合物。翻译机制通常促进α -氨基酸之间的键形成，现在促进单体之间的键形成反应，这些单体是芳纶、聚烯烃、聚氨酯和其他聚合物的基本组成部分。该方法需要正交酶，使正交trna与每个单体有效地在体内酰基化；接受这些trna作为底物并拉长产物的正交核糖体；具有多个开放密码子的基因组编码生物，使mrna模板合成序列定义的聚合物成为可能；以及高分辨率的结构数据，以加深理解并为设计提供信息。该项目开发了多学科的工具和技术，证明了该方法的概念，并建立了实现这一目标的实用方法。NSF C-GEM促进化学-生物-材料前沿的创新，并吸引科学家和非科学家参与研究和教育活动。一套多样化的教育和参与计划将研究与培训相结合，建立了多样化的化学劳动力，并改善了与公众的沟通。

Developing synthetic routes to polymers consisting of a defined sequence of monomers is a current challenge in chemistry. Proteins are natural polymers, and are specific sequences of amino acids put together easily and efficiently by the living cell. The NSF Center for Genomically Encoded Materials (C-GEM) takes a bio-inspired approach making a sequence of synthetic polymers by re-engineering the cell's systems. In this case, the cell becomes a new translational machine that synthesizes new chemical polymers of specific sequence and length. NSF C-GEM establishes a new, transformative field of chemistry and fosters innovation at the chemistry-biology-materials frontier. The applications of the new materials with novel properties range from information storage to anti-counterfeiting and drug delivery, from environmental remediation to drug discovery. NSF C-GEM engages scientists and non-scientists in a variety of research and educational activities, including improved communication to the public. These education and participation programs integrate research with training to establish a diverse chemical workforce. NSF C-GEM presents a new online platform and data management system, GEM-Net, to promote data sharing within and outside the research team. NSF C-GEM is also developing an online video game that allows citizen scientists to participate in the research process and track results. The NSF Center for Genomically Encoded Materials, NSF C-GEM, is focused on the challenge of preparing polymers whose monomers and dispersity are defined with protein-like control. Sequence-defined polymers possess extraordinary potential for information storage, anti-counterfeiting, drug delivery, environmental remediation, and even drug discovery, but strategies to prepare them are barely in their infancy. NSF C-GEM's approach synthesizes sequence-defined chemical polymers by repurposing the E. coli translational apparatus. The translation machinery, which normally promotes bond formation between alpha-amino acids, now promotes bond-forming reactions between monomers that are the building blocks for aramids, polyolefins, polyurethanes, and other polymers. The approach demands orthogonal enzymes that acylate orthogonal tRNAs with each monomer, efficiently and in vivo; orthogonal ribosomes that accept these tRNAs as substrates and elongate the products; genomically-recoded organisms with multiple open codons to enable mRNA-templated synthesis of sequence-defined polymers; and high-resolution structural data to deepen understanding and inform design. The project develops the multi-disciplinary tools and technologies that demonstrate the proof of concept of the approach and establish practical methodologies to this aim. NSF C-GEM fosters innovation at the chemistry-biology-materials frontier, and engages scientists and non-scientists in research and educational activities. A diverse set of education and participation programs integrates research with training, establishes a diverse chemical workforce, and improves communication with the public.