Self-disclosing protective materials using synthetic gene networks

能够准确地报告其当前状况或其在化学、生物或其他事件中的历史暴露的材料，在增强用户的决策能力方面提供了巨大的价值。例如，这可能是一种在特定化学物质存在时改变颜色的织物，一种改变其粘度以指示金属腐蚀早期发生的凝胶，或者一条在生物提示存在时自毁的纸条。如果这种能力扩大了现有的基础设施，而不需要重新建模设备和工作实践，那么这种能力就更有价值了。在理想的世界里，这样的设备是被动的--不需要用户输入任何东西，直到或除非他们被要求‘自我披露’。最后，鉴于运输成本是任何现场部署的主要费用，使材料功能化的能力不会招致任何额外的重量惩罚是至关重要的。在这个项目中，我们正在寻求利用生物工程师日益增长的能力来开发新的刺激响应基因网络-灵感来自生物物种的遗传多样性-并将这些系统嵌入功能材料中。基因电路为这一应用提供了关键的好处：它们是轻量级的，它们可以被编码以对一系列挑衅做出反应，它们可以输出颜色变化或其他容易感知的特性来发出侮辱发生的信号。此外，基因电路是在DNA中编码的。过去十年的进步已经消除了对传统基因克隆的需要，这意味着几乎任何DNA序列，无论是自然的还是人工合成的，都可以通过化学合成和快速组装。结合我们在无细胞基因表达方面的经验，这为探索DNA序列和功能之间的关系提供了一个无与伦比的机会。因此，这个技术平台可以用来开发任何数量的设备，能够对广泛的刺激做出反应，应用于国防军事和民用人口。我们的目标是使用这些技术来建立和优化纸和水凝胶等材料中的几个概念验证(PoC)合成基因网络，长期目标是能够使保护材料功能化，如纸板(例如用于弹出式避难所)和水凝胶(例如允许纺织品和粘合剂的智能整理)。特别令人感兴趣的是将两种高度敏感和可调的技术结合在一起的可能性：合成基因网络(SGN)和刺激响应水凝胶。这是因为，虽然刺激响应性水凝胶本身提供了巨大的潜力，但它们对刺激的反应范围并不能提供生物系统所具有的多样性和微妙程度。构建SGN/水凝胶复合设备，其中信息从SGN流向水凝胶，为两种技术之间的协同提供了一个令人兴奋的机会。然而，尽管这些技术将在受控的实验室条件下开发，但最终目标是在更广泛的世界中部署它们。这引发了两个问题：第一个是实用的--这些设备将如何在不受实验科学家保护的情况下在可变的条件下运行；第二--我们对在实验情况之外使用合成基因网络的反应是什么？从项目启动的角度来看，我们能否确保这些设备的安全是其设计的核心？这个项目将解决这两个问题。我们将为可用于该项目和更广泛的合成生物学社区的新基因设定安全标准；我们将继续与相关利益相关者(如DSTL、Synthace和适当的商业合作伙伴)接触，以更好地了解翻译的障碍。

Materials that have the ability to accurately report their current condition or their historical exposure to chemical, biological or other events, offer immense value in enhancing the decision making capabilities of the user. This may be, for example, a fabric that changes colour in the presence of a particular chemical, a gel that alters its viscosity to indicate the early onset of metal corrosion, or a strip of paper that self-destructs in the presence of a biological cue. This ability is even more valuable if it augments current infrastructure without requiring re-modelling of equipment and working practises. In an ideal world such devices are passive - not necessitating any input from the user until, or unless, they are required to 'self-disclose'. Finally, given that transportation costs are a major expense in any field deployment, it is crucial that the ability to functionalise materials does not incur any additional weight penalty.In this project we are seeking to exploit the increasing ability of bioengineers to develop novel stimuli-responsive gene networks - inspired by the genetic diversity of biological species - and embed these systems in functional materials. Genetic circuits afford key benefits for this application: they are lightweight, they can be encoded to react to a range of provocations, and they can output colour changes or other easily perceived properties to signal that insult has occurred. Moreover, gene circuitry is encoded in DNA. Advances over the last decade have obviated the need for traditional gene cloning, meaning that almost any DNA sequence, natural or synthetic, can be chemically synthesised and assembled quickly. In conjunction with our experience of cell-free gene expression, this offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore the relationship between DNA sequence and function. This technological platform could therefore be used to develop any number of devices with the capability to respond to a wide range of stimuli, with applications in the defence of both military and civilian populations.Our aim is to use these technologies to build and optimise several proof of concept (PoC) synthetic gene networks in materials such as paper and hydrogels, with the longer term aim of being able to functionalise protective materials such as cardboard (for use in pop-up shelters, for example) and hydrogels (to allow the smart finishing of textiles and adhesives, for example). Of particular interest is the potential for combining two highly sensitive and tunable technologies: synthetic gene networks (SGNs) with stimuli responsive hydrogels. This is because, whilst stimuli responsive hydrogels offer great potential on their own, the range of stimuli to which they respond does not offer the variety and subtlety that biological systems possess. Building composite SGN/hydrogel devices, where information flows from SGN to hydrogel and back, provides an exciting opportunity for synergy between the two technologies.However, whilst these technologies will be developed within controlled laboratory conditions, the eventual aim is for their deployment in the wider world. This raises two issues: the first is practical - how will these devices operate in variable conditions, away from the protection of the experimental scientist; and second - what is our response to the use of synthetic gene networks outside of an experimental situation? Can we ensure that safety of these devices is central to their design from the point of project initiation? This project will address these two issues. We will set safety standards for novel gene that can be used in this project and in the wider synthetic biology community; and we will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders (e.g.Dstl, Synthace and appropriate commercial partners) to better understand the roadblocks to translation.