Innovating bioengineered materials to preserve function in dental enamel

本计画的目的是利用材料科学的方法来了解生物材料牙釉质的结构与功能的关系。牙釉质是牙齿的外层，是一种极端的生物材料，因为它是体内矿化程度最高、最硬的组织。它由磷酸钙的针状微晶制成，这些微晶在3D分层结构中高度对齐，这使其具有优异的机械性能。然而，酸性饮料和食物会随着时间的推移而降解这种超强材料，大大降低其有效性并导致不可逆转的蛀牙。在这个项目中，新的修复机制，以优化控制引导晶体（再）生长，取向和对齐将被开发，目的是恢复外观和机械功能的釉质，从而保持釉质健康的整个生命。同步加速器X射线技术，实验室为基础的断层扫描，电子显微镜技术将被用来获得强大的，可重复的，原位表征的多尺度结构，矿物密度和在釉质损伤的再矿化过程中釉质中发生的机械变化。分子动力学和第一原理建模将用于帮助阐明实验数据，并提供化学细节，使用国家（EPSRC资助的ARCHER 2）和利兹（ARC 4）高性能计算设施。该项目是在开发创新的生物工程解决方案，提高我们对人类牙釉质的结构和功能之间的关系的理解，了解晶体取向，纳米结构变化和牙釉质的化学，作为酸攻击和随后的再矿化过程的功能的最前沿。研究结果将为我们在优化牙釉质矿化、修复和提高对未来酸性挑战的抵抗力方面取得全球重要进展。在更广泛的国家主动解决口腔健康问题的背景下，这将是一个及时和有影响力的研究项目。

The aim of this project is to use a materials science approach to understand the structure-function relationship in the biological material dental enamel. Dental enamel, the outer coating of a tooth, is an extreme biological material since it is the most highly mineralised and hardest tissue in the body. It is made of needle-like crystallites of calcium phosphate that are highly aligned in a 3D hierarchical architecture, which give it excellent mechanical properties. However, acidic drinks and foods can degrade this super-strong material over time, dramatically reducing its effectiveness and leading to irreversible tooth decay. In this project, novel repair mechanism to optimise the control of guided crystal (re)growth, orientation and alignment will be developed, with the aim of recovering the appearance and mechanical function of the enamel and thus maintaining enamel health throughout life.Synchrotron X-ray techniques, lab-based tomography, and electron microscopy techniques will be used to obtain robust, reproducible, in situ characterisation of the multiscale structure, mineral density, and mechanical changes that occur in enamel during remineralisation of enamel lesions. Molecular dynamics and first principles modelling will be used to help elucidate experimental data and to provide chemical detail, using both the national (EPSRC funded ARCHER2) and Leeds (ARC4) high performance computing facilities. This project is at the forefront of developing innovative bioengineering solutions and improving our understanding of the relationship between structure and function in human enamel, understanding the crystallographic orientation, nanostructural changes, and chemistry of dental enamel, as a function of acid attack and subsequent remineralisation processes. The results will give us globally important advances in optimising enamel remineralisation, repair, and improve resistance to future acid challenges. In the wider context of national initiatives to tackle oral health issues, it will be a timely and influential research project.