I-Corps: Oxygen-controlling Cryogels for Cell Culture Applications

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是探索一种新的平台的用途，这种平台对研究不同氧水平的细胞培养很有用。氧是细胞生命和发育的重要因素，在传统的培养条件下通常不受控制，但在特定的研究中，必须保持低氧水平。例如，低氧水平有助于研究人员研究疾病、人体组织甚至生物过程。其他过程，如消化系统紊乱、一些传染病和人类微生物群，都是在无氧的情况下研究的。目前用于进行这些细胞培养技术的技术要么不足，要么负担过重，要么过于昂贵，无法广泛使用。提出的技术是一个紧凑和负担得起的细胞培养氧控制平台。这个I-Corps项目是基于一个氧气控制的低温凝胶细胞培养平台的发展。低温凝胶是一种先进的水凝胶，具有一系列独特的物理特性，包括相互连接的微孔3D网络、形状记忆功能，以及可注射器注射。低氧张力（即缺氧）与一些组织和疾病有关，厌氧细胞培养对于研究胃肠道疾病、传染病和人类微生物群至关重要。提出的技术是一个紧凑和负担得起的氧气控制低温凝胶平台，可以直接在细胞环境中创造氧气控制条件。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 broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to explore the uses of a new platform useful for studying cell cultures with different oxygen levels. Oxygen, an important factor for cell life and development, is typically not controlled in conventional culture conditions, but for specific studies low oxygen levels must be maintained. For instance, low oxygen levels help researchers study diseases, human tissues and even biological processes. Other processes, such as disorders of the digestive system, some infectious diseases, and the human microbiome, are studied with no oxygen. Current technologies for performing these cell culture techniques are either inadequate, burdensome or too expensive for widespread use. The proposed technology is a compact and affordable oxygen-controlling platform for cell cultures. This I-Corps project is based on the development of an oxygen-controlling cryogel cell culture platform. Cryogels are an advanced type of hydrogels with a unique set of physical properties, including an interconnected and microporous 3D network, shape memory features, and are syringe injectable. Low oxygen tension (i.e., hypoxia) is associated with some tissues and diseases, and anaerobic cell culture is essential for studying gastrointestinal disorders, infectious diseases and the human microbiome. The proposed technology is a compact and affordable oxygen-controlling cryogel platform that creates oxygen-controlled conditions directly within the cellular environment.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.