I-Corps: Synthetic secretions

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是合成粘蛋白(粘液的类似物)的开发，以影响护肤、医疗保健和材料行业。最初，合成粘液将被探索作为抗衰老、保湿护肤成分，并将取代来自动物的天然粘蛋白。重要的是，这些合成方法可以合成不同的粘蛋白类似物，具有不同的材料和生物学特性。随着皮肤护理用合成粘蛋白的开发，该团队将开发用于透皮递送、生物相容性润滑和外科粘合剂的材料。粘液的合成类似物有助于理解粘液在消化系统、呼吸系统和免疫系统中的作用。其他更广泛的影响包括成立一家新的美国高科技材料制造公司，为粘蛋白创造新的市场，并在没有其他合适的替代方案的情况下提供无毒的护肤、保健和生物医学解决方案。这个i-Corps项目基于模拟动物粘液结构和特性的合成材料的开发。动物分泌不同的粘液，用于各种功能，包括润滑、水合和粘连。该团队最近开发了一种合成的蜗牛粘蛋白类似物，可以替代目前用于保湿护肤品的蜗牛粘液滤液。合成粘蛋白是一种可在千克级别生产的水溶性糖基化多肽。目前，合成粘蛋白仅以毫克规模生产，或者其化学成分不能完全模拟天然粘蛋白的组成或性质。这项拟议的技术重新设计了一种可扩展的糖基化多肽合成，重新创造了蜗牛粘液的所有显著结构和物理特征。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 the development of synthetic mucins (analogs of mucus) to impact the skincare, healthcare, and materials industries. Initially, the synthetic mucus will be explored as anti-aging, moisturizing skincare ingredients, and will replace natural mucins derived from animals. Importantly, the synthetic methods may allow for the synthesis of diverse mucin analogs, with varying material and biological properties. Following the development of synthetic mucins for skincare, the team will develop materials for transdermal delivery, biocompatible lubrication, and surgical adhesives. The synthetic analogs of mucus can aid in understanding the role of mucus in digestive, respiratory, and immune systems. The additional broader impacts include launching a new US-based, high-tech material manufacturing company, creating new markets for mucins, and providing nontoxic skincare, healthcare, and biomedical solutions, where no other adequate alternative exists.This I-Corps project is based on the development of synthetic materials that mimic the structures and properties of animal mucus. Animals secrete different mucus for a variety of functions, including lubrication, hydration, and adhesion. The team has recently developed a synthetic analog of snail mucin that is a substitute for the snail mucus filtrate currently used in hydrating skincare products. The synthetic mucin is a water-soluble glycosylated polypeptide that can be produced on the kilogram scale. Currently, synthetic mucins are only produced on the milligram scale or have chemical compositions that do not fully mimic the composition or properties of the natural mucins. The proposed technology reresenets a scalable synthesis of a glycosylated polypeptide that re-creates all the salient structural and physical characteristics of snail mucins.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.