I-Corps: Translation Potential of Peptidic Ensembles as Novel Bio-adhesives

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛影响是氨基酸生物粘合剂的开发。该产品采用低成本和高通量策略，使用贻贝足部蛋白中的一种关键分子展示了粘附性，这种分子使贻贝能够强烈地附着在海水中的表面。这项技术有可能影响生物医学和生物塑料行业，不仅在为用户创造更安全的产品方面，而且还改变了使用水来生产生物塑料材料的方式，而不是使用石油衍生的有机溶剂，因为石油衍生的有机溶剂通常是高活性、易燃和危害健康的。最后，由于材料的基本属性(例如，表面比附着力和粘度)是可调节的，生物粘合剂可以用于多种生物表面，并用于伤口愈合、牙齿填充和外科手术胶。这个i-Corps项目利用经验学习和对行业生态系统的第一手调查来评估该技术的转化潜力。该解决方案基于对刺激反应的多肽材料和具有可调节内部结构的凝聚体的开发。酶反应多肽可以被设计为附着在细胞表面，具有特定序列的多肽可以自组装并控制酶反应的动力学。再加上极简主义的多肽可以被设计成控制凝聚体的内部结构。在本项目中，多肽凝聚体和酶响应多肽分别作为粘合剂和增塑剂。由于来源材料是基于生物的，产品受益于生物兼容性和可持续性。可调性是一种具有动态内部结构的水基粘合剂，可以潜在地接触到各种生物表面。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 of this I-Corps project is the development of amino acid-based bio-adhesives. Using low-cost and high throughput strategies, this product demonstrates adhesive properties using a key molecule found in mussel foot proteins which allows mussels to adhere strongly to surfaces in seawater. This technology has the potential to impact the biomedical and bioplastic industry, not only in creating a safer product for the users, but also transforming the way bioplastic materials are manufactured using water instead of petroleum-derived organic solvents which are often highly reactive, flammable, and have health hazards. Finally, since the fundamental properties of the material (e.g., surface specific adhesion and viscosity) are tunable, the bio-adhesive can be used on multiple biological surfaces and used for wound healing, dental fillings, and surgical glues.This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. The solution is based on the development of stimuli-responsive peptidic materials and coacervates with modulable internal structure. Enzyme-responsive peptides can be designed to adhere to cell surfaces and peptides with specific sequences can self-assemble and control the kinetics of enzyme responsiveness. Coupled to this, minimalistic peptides can be designed to control the internal structure of coacervates. In this project, peptidic coacervates and enzyme responsive peptides act as adhesives and plasticizers, respectively. As the source materials are biologically-based, the products benefit from biocompatibility and sustainability. The tunability a water-based adhesive with dynamic internal structure allows potential access to a variety of biological surfaces.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.