Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Monsur Islam, Christine Selhuber-Unkel, Jan G. Korvink, Andres Diaz Lantada
Summary: Engineered living materials (ELMs) are revolutionizing the field of materials science by generating next-generation advanced materials that outperform current smart, active, or multifunctional materials. Carbon materials are established as ideal counterparts to living cells in a hybrid living material system due to their excellent biocompatibility and unique functional properties. Hybrid living carbon materials (HLCMs) show exciting potential and can offer a variety of superior properties. This article reviews currently available examples of HLCMs, addresses current challenges, and proposes a methodology for HLCMs, emphasizing their revolutionary potential in various applications.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Ahmad Allahbakhsh, Nikolaj Gadegaard, Carmen M. Ruiz, Amin Shavandi
Summary: This study provides an overview of the latest scientific advancements in the design and fabrication of graphene-based engineered living materials (ELMs). It categorizes the fabrication strategies and discusses the advantages and disadvantages within each category. It also covers the potential applications and the challenges associated with the fabrication of next-generation graphene-based ELMs.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laura K. Rivera-Tarazona, Tarjani Shukla, Kanwar Abhay Singh, Akhilesh K. Gaharwar, Zachary T. Campbell, Taylor H. Ware
Summary: This method utilizes direct-ink-write printing to fabricate engineering living materials (ELMs) that respond to specific molecules by undergoing a programmed shape change. Genetically engineered yeast integrated into ELMs impart stimuli-responsiveness, leading to a controlled shape change in response to specific biomolecules. The fabrication involves coprinting bioinks containing multiple yeast strains to achieve programmable changes in form in response to target amino acids and nucleotides.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Laura K. Rivera-Tarazona, Zachary T. Campbell, Taylor H. Ware
Summary: Stimuli-responsive materials undergo controllable changes in response to external cues, and Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) combining living cells and synthetic materials have shown promising responses to biochemical and physical stimuli. Advances in genetic engineering and processing-property relationships of ELMs have enabled their applications in environmental sensors, biomedical sensors, drug delivery vehicles, and soft robots.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Priyanka Dhakane, Varun Sai Tadimarri, Shrikrishnan Sankaran
Summary: Regenerative medicine aims to restore damaged cells, tissues, and organs by using growth factors to stimulate regenerative cellular transformations. However, the clinical application of growth factors is limited due to stability issues and the need for precise regulation. This study explores the use of engineered living materials (ELMs) containing live microorganisms as a strategy to overcome these limitations. The development of an ELM that releases a pro-angiogenic protein in a light-regulated manner is described.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xue Dong, Wei Wu, Pei Pan, Xian-Zheng Zhang
Summary: This review summarizes recent developments in engineered living materials for treating various diseases and discusses future perspectives and challenges, providing considerations for further advances in biomedical applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kannoth Madappurakkal Ahina, Kiruba Kannan, Vinu Vijayan, Sreelekshmi Sreekumar, Rachita Lakra, Manikantan Syamala Kiran
Summary: This study focuses on the self-assembly of collagen fibrils with Graphene Quantum Dots (GQD) and its potential applications in tissue regeneration. The results showed that the self-assembly of collagen with GQD leads to increased thermal stability and tensile strength. The GQDs self-assembled collagen bio-matrices exhibit a 3D surface topology resembling the extracellular matrix. Additionally, the GQDs self-assembled collagen bio-matrices showed no toxicity in fibroblast cells and demonstrated enhanced biocompatibility, including increased cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration. Furthermore, the GQD self-assembled collagen promoted blood vessel formation. This study paves the way for the use of zero-dimensional graphene-based 3-dimensional self-assembled collagen bio-matrices in soft tissue regeneration.
MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Anna Sandak
Summary: Progress in biomimetics enables the fabrication of man-made materials and surfaces that mimic biological properties. This allows for the development of a new generation of architecture building materials with exceptional properties that are typically not achievable with conventional methods.
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
M. Wojnicki, V Hessel
Summary: This review focuses on the recent progress and perspectives in microfluidic fabrication of quantum materials, including the synthesis and control of various quantum materials in different fields. It serves as a guide for scientific and industry research groups interested in quantum materials synthesis and scale-up production.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ruiting Guo, Lin Li, Baowei Wang, Yinger Xiang, Guoqiang Zou, Yirong Zhu, Hongshuai Hou, Xiaobo Ji
Summary: Carbon dots are a new class of carbon materials with ultrasmall size and unique physicochemical properties, showing great potential in various fields and particularly in the development of next-generation batteries. Studies have demonstrated the advantages of using carbon dots in electrode materials, separator, and electrolyte of advanced batteries, highlighting their importance in guiding the design of future high-performance batteries.
ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara Molinari, Robert F. Tesoriero, Dong Li, Swetha Sridhar, Rong Cai, Jayashree Soman, Kathleen R. Ryan, Paul D. Ashby, Caroline M. Ajo-Franklin
Summary: Engineered living materials (ELMs) embed living cells in a biopolymer matrix to create novel materials with tailored functions. In this work, the authors engineered bacteria to grow novel macroscopic materials that can be reshaped, functionalized, and used to filter contaminated water while also showing that the stiffness of these materials can be tuned through genetic changes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniel P. Birnbaum, Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, Anton Kan, Blaise L. Tardy, Neel S. Joshi
Summary: This study presents a simple approach for producing highly programmable bacterial cellulose (BC) materials through incorporating engineered E. coli, expanding the functionality of BC-based living materials. By coculturing Gluconacetobacter hansenii with engineered E. coli in glucose-rich media, robust cellulose capsules are produced, which can sequester specific biomolecules and catalyze reactions in the environment. Additionally, capsules capable of altering their physical properties through enzyme-induced biomineralization are generated.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Debika Datta, Elliot L. L. Weiss, Daniel Wangpraseurt, Erica Hild, Shaochen Chen, James W. W. Golden, Susan S. S. Golden, Jonathan K. K. Pokorski
Summary: In this study, a cyanobacterial biocomposite material capable of producing multiple functional outputs in response to an external chemical stimulus was fabricated using 3D printing. The advantages of utilizing additive manufacturing techniques in controlling the shape of the material were demonstrated. Genetically engineered cyanobacteria were integrated into 3D-printed designs to create programmable photosynthetic biocomposite materials capable of producing functional outputs such as bioremediation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Junqi Hu, Mengmeng Yang, Xi Ke, Shuhui Yang, Kunqiang Wang, Haowei Huang, Weizhe Wang, Dongxiang Luo, Zhaoqiang Zheng, Le Huang, Peng Xiao, Chen Tu, Yonggang Min, Nengjie Huo, Menglong Zhang
Summary: In this study, a mixed dimensional material containing cubic 0D CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots and cubic 2D-PbS was prepared for CO2 reduction to fuels. The combination of 0D and 2D materials resulted in improved photocurrent and outstanding selectivity and activity in reducing CO2 to CO and CH4. The synthesized PQDs on 2D-PbS exhibited a reduced size compared to those synthesized in solvent, leading to wider bandgap and enhanced potential for photocatalytic reactions.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Wan Ibtisam Wan Omar, Chin Fhong Soon, Mohd Khairul Ahmad, Masaru Shimomura
Summary: The study successfully synthesized N-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) by hydrothermal method, and analyzed their optical and electronic properties through experimental and theoretical calculations, showing that N-GQDs are non-toxic to cells with high viability.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elizabeth A. Delesky, Patrick E. Thomas, Marimikel Charrier, Jeffrey C. Cameron, Wil V. Srubar
Summary: The study investigated the influence of MpIBP on ice crystal growth and structure in nonphysiological pH environments. Results showed that MpIBP maintained stability in secondary structure and function within a certain pH range, demonstrating its potential utility in materials science and engineering applications outside of physiological conditions.
Article
Microbiology
Maria Teresa Orozco-Hidalgo, Marimikel Charrier, Nicholas Tjahjono, Robert F. Tesoriero, Dong Li, Sara Molinari, Kathleen R. Ryan, Paul D. Ashby, Behzad Rad, Caroline M. Ajo-Franklin
Summary: This research introduces a two-strain bacterial system that autonomously synthesizes and structures a synthetic extracellular matrix of proteins, offering unprecedented levels of biomaterial secretion and flexibility. The engineered system demonstrates specific and covalent binding of the matrix protein to the cell surface, providing guidelines for type I secretion in C. crescentus and paving the way towards cohesive engineered living materials.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Emily W. Tow, Behzad Rad, Robert Kostecki
Summary: This study investigates the behavior of biofouling on water reuse membranes using confocal microscopy. Through in situ monitoring and image analysis, the growth and removal processes of biofilms and the production of extracellular polymeric substances are revealed. The results provide important insights for the development of improved techniques for biofouling mitigation.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Roger M. Pallares, Marimikel Charrier, Sara Tejedor-Sanz, Dong Li, Paul D. Ashby, Caroline M. Ajo-Franklin, Corie Y. Ralston, Rebecca J. Abergel
Summary: Rare-earth elements are essential for clean energy technologies, but their supply chain is at high risk of disruption. This study presents a synthetic biogenic material that mimics natural processes to extract lanthanides. The material demonstrates high affinity and selectivity for lanthanides, and the functionalized protein layers can be reused. These findings highlight the potential of biogenic materials in recovering critical elements from waste.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ganhua Xie, Pei Li, Paul Y. Kim, Pei-Yang Gu, Brett A. Helms, Paul D. Ashby, Lei Jiang, Thomas P. Russell
Summary: Water-walking insects use capillary forces to climb or descend the meniscus between water surface and a solid object by changing body posture, which inspired the development of autonomous aquatic synthetic systems that can shuttle cargo underground between landing and drop-off sites. By controlling the contact angle of a coacervate sac or hydrogel droplet, cyclic cargo shuttling can occur continuously as long as reactants from the surrounding aqueous phase are not depleted, potentially leading to applications in autonomously driven reaction or delivery systems and micro-/milli-robotics.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Allen P. Liu, Eric A. Appel, Paul D. Ashby, Brendon M. Baker, Elisa Franco, Luo Gu, Karmella Haynes, Neel S. Joshi, April M. Kloxin, Paul H. J. Kouwer, Jeetain Mittal, Leonardo Morsut, Vincent Noireaux, Sapun Parekh, Rebecca Schulman, Sindy K. Y. Tang, Megan T. Valentine, Sebastian L. Vega, Wilfried Weber, Nicholas Stephanopoulos, Ovijit Chaudhuri
Summary: Recent advancements in synthetic biology and biomaterials have provided exciting tools for creating new materials and extending the application of synthetic biology. Despite their transformative potential, these fields have mostly progressed separately. This Perspective reviews recent key advances and presents a roadmap for collaboration between the two communities, emphasizing the near-term applications in developing hierarchically structured biomaterials.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiao Zhao, Dong Li, Yi-Hsien Lu, Behzad Rad, Chunsheng Yan, Hans A. Bechtel, Paul D. Ashby, Miquel B. Salmeron
Summary: This study presents a novel platform for acquiring infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of biological material in physiological liquids. The self-assembly process of S-layer proteins at the graphene-aqueous solution interface was investigated, demonstrating the impact of environmental factors on the structural evolution, as determined by recording infrared absorption bands.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara Molinari, Robert F. Tesoriero, Dong Li, Swetha Sridhar, Rong Cai, Jayashree Soman, Kathleen R. Ryan, Paul D. Ashby, Caroline M. Ajo-Franklin
Summary: Engineered living materials (ELMs) embed living cells in a biopolymer matrix to create novel materials with tailored functions. In this work, the authors engineered bacteria to grow novel macroscopic materials that can be reshaped, functionalized, and used to filter contaminated water while also showing that the stiffness of these materials can be tuned through genetic changes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tianyi Yu, Xubo Luo, David Prendergast, Glenn L. Butterfoss, Behzad Rad, Nitash P. Balsara, Ronald N. Zuckermann, Xi Jiang
Summary: The precise engineering of synthetic polymers with the same structural accuracy as biomacromolecules is crucial for the de novo design of robust nanomaterials with biomimetic function. Peptoids, a controllable bio-inspired polymer family, have the ability to assemble into various functional, crystalline nanostructures across different sequences. Through cryo-TEM 3D reconstruction, the conformation of an individual polymer chain within a peptoid nanofiber lattice is directly visualized, providing atomic-level details of the molecular structure. The findings reveal the role of packing interactions in determining the local chain ordering and long-range order in peptoid lattices, and demonstrate the potential to modulate lattice stability and nanoscale morphology through the addition of small molecules, thus accelerating the design of functional nanostructures.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
James Tyler, Corie Y. Ralston, Behzad Rad
Summary: In vivo imaging of protein complexes is important for understanding their biological function. Small nanobodies have high affinity but may not label proteins completely. The SpyCatcher003 and SpyTag system allows for irreversible binding, but delivering them into cells without disruption is a challenge.
Review
Microbiology
Maria Santos-Merino, Lisa Yun, Daniel C. Ducat
Summary: Biofuels and other biologically manufactured sustainable goods are becoming more popular and in demand. Cyanobacteria are being considered as potential candidates for sustainable production of carbohydrate feedstocks, with lower land and water requirements compared to plants. Genetically engineered cyanobacterial strains have been found to export significant quantities of sugars. This review provides a comprehensive summary of cyanobacterial sucrose synthesis and degradation pathways, genetic modifications to increase sucrose production, and recent advances in co-cultivation strategies with heterotrophic microbes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ian M. Hill, Victor Hernandez, Bohao Xu, Josiah A. Piceno, John Misiaszek, Adrian Giglio, Emily Junez, Jiajun Chen, Paul D. Ashby, Robert S. Jordan, Yue Wang
Summary: Complex 3D geometry and high conductivity have been mutually exclusive characteristics for conducting polymers. However, this study reveals that the reduced conductivity in 3D-printed forms of PEDOT:PSS can be overcome by addressing the ink formulation strategy and lateral phase separation. By optimizing these factors, a significant enhancement in conductivity to 1200 S/cm, higher than the typical 2D-processed PEDOT:PSS, has been achieved.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Nhat Nguyen, Bryce Herrington, Kayetan Chorazewicz, Szu-Fan (Paul) Wang, Ruthi Zielinski, John Turner, Paul D. Ashby, Ufuk Kilic, Eva Schubert, Mathias Schubert, Ronald A. Parrott, Allen A. Sweet, Robert Streubel
Summary: Metal-organic decomposition epitaxy is an economical wet-chemical method for synthesizing high-quality low-spin-damping films. This study investigates the temperature dependence of ferromagnetic resonances and associated quantities of yttrium iron garnet nanofilms. The quality factor for out-of-plane and in-plane resonances is significantly higher than that offered by commercial devices based on complementary metal-oxide semiconductor voltage-controlled oscillators.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER
(2023)