Generation and Self-Assembly of Novel Polymeric Materials Inspired by Nature

生物启发材料领域的前提是，人类可以从自然中学到一些东西，即通过可持续和经济的加工，创造出具有多种功能的多功能高性能材料。我们的研究项目侧重于贻贝纤维，由于具有技术和生物医学相关的材料特性(高韧性、自愈性、湿粘性)，这种纤维为仿生聚合物提供了一个极好的角色模型。我们以前的工作表明，这些性质源于蛋白质构建块的分层组织和蛋白质-金属配位交联。然而，目前人们对这种高度的结构复杂性是如何在字节体形成过程中实现的知之甚少。我们研究计划的目标是阐明贻贝的自组装过程，并利用提取的设计概念来开发仿生材料加工。贻贝Byssus纤维是通过自下而上的10种不同蛋白质的自组装快速制造出来的，这些蛋白质在短短几分钟内经历了从流体前体到韧性纤维的戏剧性转变。我们最近的工作表明，Besssus蛋白储存在微米大小的分泌小泡中，这些小泡以时空可控的方式分泌。我们假设囊泡具有可控的微环境(pH、离子强度和氧化还原电位)，并且当刺激响应蛋白从分泌腺释放到海水中时，通过改变环境条件和机械剪切来触发自组装。我们认为，通过阐明在BASSUS组装中发挥作用的时空控制和物理化学原理，我们将获得新的见解，以启发通过超分子组装来制造具有先进性能的聚合物材料的可持续实践。*建立在我们小组过去7年工作的基础上，主要目标是：1)通过对BASSU形成的原位和体外研究，阐明贻贝BASSUS自组装的物理化学原理。Ii)通过新的基于微流体的材料加工，使提取的原理适用于组装具有层次化结构的新型聚合物材料。这些目标将通过在化学、生物化学和材料科学的交界处进行多尺度、跨学科的研究来实现，利用尖端分析技术，包括共聚焦拉曼光谱、聚焦离子束扫描电子显微镜(FIB-SEM)和低温透射电子显微镜(TEM)。我们计划的长期目标是生产将高性能与可持续制造实践和循环生命周期相结合的聚合物材料。这将在新兴的绿色技术产业中为加拿大在经济和环境方面带来切实的好处。

The field of bio-inspired materials is founded on the premise that humans can learn something from nature about creating versatile high-performance materials for a wide variety of functions through sustainable and economical processing. Our research program focuses on mussel byssus fibers, which provide an excellent role model for bio-inspired polymers due to technologically and biomedically relevant materials properties (high toughness, self-healing, wet adhesion). Our previous work indicates these properties arise from hierarchical organization of protein building blocks and protein-metal coordination cross-linking. Presently, however, little is understood about how this high degree of structural complexity is achieved during byssus formation. The goals of our research program are to elucidate the byssus self-assembly process and utilize extracted design concepts towards the development of bio-inspired materials processing.******Mussel byssus fibers are rapidly fabricated via bottom-up self-assembly of >10 different proteins, which undergo a dramatic transition from fluid precursor to tough fiber in just minutes. Our recent work indicates that byssus proteins are stored in micron-sized secretory vesicles, which are secreted in a spatiotemporally controlled process. We hypothesize that vesicles possess a controlled microenvironment (pH, ionic strength and redox potential) and that self-assembly is triggered via changing ambient conditions and mechanical shear as the stimuli responsive proteins are released from secretory glands into seawater. We posit that by elucidating the spatiotemporal control and physical chemical principles at play in byssus assembly, we will gain new insights for inspiring sustainable practices for fabricating polymeric materials with advanced properties via supramolecular assembly.******Building off our group's work over the last 7 years, the primary aims are I) Elucidate physical chemical principles underlying mussel byssus self-assembly through in situ and in vitro investigation of byssus formation. II) Adapt extracted principles towards assembly of novel polymeric materials with hierarchical structure via novel microfluidics-based materials processing. These aims will be achieved through a multi-scale, cross-disciplinary investigation at the interface of chemistry, biochemistry and materials science, utilizing cutting edge analytical techniques including confocal Raman spectroscopy, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The long-term aim of our program is production of polymeric materials that combine high performance with sustainable fabrication practices and circular life cycles. This will have tangible benefits for Canada, both economically and environmentally, in the emerging green technologies industry.*****