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Gumuskaya G, Srivastava P, Cooper BG, Lesser H, Semegran B, Garnier S, Levin M. Motile Living Biobots Self-Construct from Adult Human Somatic Progenitor Seed Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2303575. [PMID: 38032125 PMCID: PMC10811512 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Fundamental knowledge gaps exist about the plasticity of cells from adult soma and the potential diversity of body shape and behavior in living constructs derived from genetically wild-type cells. Here anthrobots are introduced, a spheroid-shaped multicellular biological robot (biobot) platform with diameters ranging from 30 to 500 microns and cilia-powered locomotive abilities. Each Anthrobot begins as a single cell, derived from the adult human lung, and self-constructs into a multicellular motile biobot after being cultured in extra cellular matrix for 2 weeks and transferred into a minimally viscous habitat. Anthrobots exhibit diverse behaviors with motility patterns ranging from tight loops to straight lines and speeds ranging from 5-50 microns s-1 . The anatomical investigations reveal that this behavioral diversity is significantly correlated with their morphological diversity. Anthrobots can assume morphologies with fully polarized or wholly ciliated bodies and spherical or ellipsoidal shapes, each related to a distinct movement type. Anthrobots are found to be capable of traversing, and inducing rapid repair of scratches in, cultured human neural cell sheets in vitro. By controlling microenvironmental cues in bulk, novel structures, with new and unexpected behavior and biomedically-relevant capabilities, can be discovered in morphogenetic processes without direct genetic editing or manual sculpting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizem Gumuskaya
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts Universityand Department of BiologyTufts UniversityMedfordMA02155USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired EngineeringHarvard UniversityBostonMA02115USA
| | - Pranjal Srivastava
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts Universityand Department of BiologyTufts UniversityMedfordMA02155USA
| | - Ben G. Cooper
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts Universityand Department of BiologyTufts UniversityMedfordMA02155USA
| | - Hannah Lesser
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts Universityand Department of BiologyTufts UniversityMedfordMA02155USA
| | - Ben Semegran
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts Universityand Department of BiologyTufts UniversityMedfordMA02155USA
| | - Simon Garnier
- Federated Department of Biological SciencesNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewarkNJ07102USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts Universityand Department of BiologyTufts UniversityMedfordMA02155USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired EngineeringHarvard UniversityBostonMA02115USA
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2
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Levin M. Bioelectric networks: the cognitive glue enabling evolutionary scaling from physiology to mind. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1865-1891. [PMID: 37204591 PMCID: PMC10770221 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01780-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Each of us made the remarkable journey from mere matter to mind: starting life as a quiescent oocyte ("just chemistry and physics"), and slowly, gradually, becoming an adult human with complex metacognitive processes, hopes, and dreams. In addition, even though we feel ourselves to be a unified, single Self, distinct from the emergent dynamics of termite mounds and other swarms, the reality is that all intelligence is collective intelligence: each of us consists of a huge number of cells working together to generate a coherent cognitive being with goals, preferences, and memories that belong to the whole and not to its parts. Basal cognition is the quest to understand how Mind scales-how large numbers of competent subunits can work together to become intelligences that expand the scale of their possible goals. Crucially, the remarkable trick of turning homeostatic, cell-level physiological competencies into large-scale behavioral intelligences is not limited to the electrical dynamics of the brain. Evolution was using bioelectric signaling long before neurons and muscles appeared, to solve the problem of creating and repairing complex bodies. In this Perspective, I review the deep symmetry between the intelligence of developmental morphogenesis and that of classical behavior. I describe the highly conserved mechanisms that enable the collective intelligence of cells to implement regulative embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer suppression. I sketch the story of an evolutionary pivot that repurposed the algorithms and cellular machinery that enable navigation of morphospace into the behavioral navigation of the 3D world which we so readily recognize as intelligence. Understanding the bioelectric dynamics that underlie construction of complex bodies and brains provides an essential path to understanding the natural evolution, and bioengineered design, of diverse intelligences within and beyond the phylogenetic history of Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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3
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Young AT, Deal H, Rusch G, Pozdin VA, Brown AC, Daniele M. Simple Design for Membrane-Free Microphysiological Systems to Model the Blood-Tissue Barriers. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.20.563328. [PMID: 37961220 PMCID: PMC10634696 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.20.563328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Microphysiological systems (MPS) incorporate physiologically relevant microanatomy, mechanics, and cells to mimic tissue function. Reproducible and standardized in vitro models of tissue barriers, such as the blood-tissue interface (BTI), are critical for next-generation MPS applications in research and industry. Many models of the BTI are limited by the need for semipermeable membranes, use of homogenous cell populations, or 2D culture. These factors limit the relevant endothelial-epithelial contact and 3D transport, which would best mimic the BTI. Current models are also difficult to assemble, requiring precise alignment and layering of components. The work reported herein details the engineering of a BTI-on-a-chip (BTI Chip) that addresses current disadvantages by demonstrating a single layer, membrane-free design. Laminar flow profiles, photocurable hydrogel scaffolds, and human cell lines were used to construct a BTI Chip that juxtaposes an endothelium in direct contact with a 3D engineered tissue. A biomaterial composite, gelatin methacryloyl and 8-arm polyethylene glycol thiol, was used for in situ fabrication of a tissue structure within a Y-shaped microfluidic device. To produce the BTI, a laminar flow profile was achieved by flowing a photocurable precursor solution alongside phosphate buffered saline. Immediately after stopping flow, the scaffold underwent polymerization through a rapid exposure to UV light (<300 mJ·cm-2). After scaffold formation, blood vessel endothelial cells were introduced and allowed to adhere directly to the 3D tissue scaffold, without barriers or phase guides. Fabrication of the BTI Chip was demonstrated in both an epithelial tissue model and blood-brain barrier (BBB) model. In the epithelial model, scaffolds were seeded with human dermal fibroblasts. For the BBB models, scaffolds were seeded with the immortalized glial cell line, SVGP12. The BTI Chip microanatomy was analyzed post facto by immunohistochemistry, showing the uniform production of a patent endothelium juxtaposed with a 3D engineered tissue. Fluorescent tracer molecules were used to characterize the permeability of the BTI Chip. The BTI Chips were challenged with an efflux pump inhibitor, cyclosporine A, to assess physiological function and endothelial cell activation. Operation of physiologically relevant BTI Chips and a novel means for high-throughput MPS generation was demonstrated, enabling future development for drug candidate screening and fundamental biological investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlyn T. Young
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh NC, 27695 (USA)
| | - Halston Deal
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh NC, 27695 (USA)
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr., Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Gabrielle Rusch
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh NC, 27695 (USA)
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr., Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Vladimir A. Pozdin
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL (USA)
- Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL (USA)
| | - Ashley C. Brown
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh NC, 27695 (USA)
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr., Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Michael Daniele
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 911 Oval Dr., Raleigh NC, 27695 (USA)
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr., Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL (USA)
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Grodstein J, McMillen P, Levin M. Closing the loop on morphogenesis: a mathematical model of morphogenesis by closed-loop reaction-diffusion. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1087650. [PMID: 37645245 PMCID: PMC10461482 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1087650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphogenesis, the establishment and repair of emergent complex anatomy by groups of cells, is a fascinating and biomedically-relevant problem. One of its most fascinating aspects is that a developing embryo can reliably recover from disturbances, such as splitting into twins. While this reliability implies some type of goal-seeking error minimization over a morphogenic field, there are many gaps with respect to detailed, constructive models of such a process. A common way to achieve reliability is negative feedback, which requires characterizing the existing body shape to create an error signal-but measuring properties of a shape may not be simple. We show how cells communicating in a wave-like pattern could analyze properties of the current body shape. We then describe a closed-loop negative-feedback system for creating reaction-diffusion (RD) patterns with high reliability. Specifically, we use a wave to count the number of peaks in a RD pattern, letting us use a negative-feedback controller to create a pattern with N repetitions, where N can be altered over a wide range. Furthermore, the individual repetitions of the RD pattern can be easily stretched or shrunk under genetic control to create, e.g., some morphological features larger than others. This work contributes to the exciting effort of understanding design principles of morphological computation, which can be used to understand evolved developmental mechanisms, manipulate them in regenerative-medicine settings, or engineer novel synthetic morphology constructs with desired robust behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Grodstein
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Patrick McMillen
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
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Blackiston D, Kriegman S, Bongard J, Levin M. Biological Robots: Perspectives on an Emerging Interdisciplinary Field. Soft Robot 2023; 10:674-686. [PMID: 37083430 PMCID: PMC10442684 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2022.0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in science and engineering often reveal the limitations of classical approaches initially used to understand, predict, and control phenomena. With progress, conceptual categories must often be re-evaluated to better track recently discovered invariants across disciplines. It is essential to refine frameworks and resolve conflicting boundaries between disciplines such that they better facilitate, not restrict, experimental approaches and capabilities. In this essay, we address specific questions and critiques which have arisen in response to our research program, which lies at the intersection of developmental biology, computer science, and robotics. In the context of biological machines and robots, we explore changes across concepts and previously distinct fields that are driven by recent advances in materials, information, and life sciences. Herein, each author provides their own perspective on the subject, framed by their own disciplinary training. We argue that as with computation, certain aspects of developmental biology and robotics are not tied to specific materials; rather, the consilience of these fields can help to shed light on issues of multiscale control, self-assembly, and relationships between form and function. We hope new fields can emerge as boundaries arising from technological limitations are overcome, furthering practical applications from regenerative medicine to useful synthetic living machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Blackiston
- Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Computationally Designed Organisms, Massachusetts and Vermont, USA
| | - Sam Kriegman
- Institute for Computationally Designed Organisms, Massachusetts and Vermont, USA
- Center for Robotics and Biosystems, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Josh Bongard
- Institute for Computationally Designed Organisms, Massachusetts and Vermont, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Computationally Designed Organisms, Massachusetts and Vermont, USA
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6
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Bongard J, Levin M. There’s Plenty of Room Right Here: Biological Systems as Evolved, Overloaded, Multi-Scale Machines. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:biomimetics8010110. [PMID: 36975340 PMCID: PMC10046700 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8010110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The applicability of computational models to the biological world is an active topic of debate. We argue that a useful path forward results from abandoning hard boundaries between categories and adopting an observer-dependent, pragmatic view. Such a view dissolves the contingent dichotomies driven by human cognitive biases (e.g., a tendency to oversimplify) and prior technological limitations in favor of a more continuous view, necessitated by the study of evolution, developmental biology, and intelligent machines. Form and function are tightly entwined in nature, and in some cases, in robotics as well. Thus, efforts to re-shape living systems for biomedical or bioengineering purposes require prediction and control of their function at multiple scales. This is challenging for many reasons, one of which is that living systems perform multiple functions in the same place at the same time. We refer to this as “polycomputing”—the ability of the same substrate to simultaneously compute different things, and make those computational results available to different observers. This ability is an important way in which living things are a kind of computer, but not the familiar, linear, deterministic kind; rather, living things are computers in the broad sense of their computational materials, as reported in the rapidly growing physical computing literature. We argue that an observer-centered framework for the computations performed by evolved and designed systems will improve the understanding of mesoscale events, as it has already done at quantum and relativistic scales. To develop our understanding of how life performs polycomputing, and how it can be convinced to alter one or more of those functions, we can first create technologies that polycompute and learn how to alter their functions. Here, we review examples of biological and technological polycomputing, and develop the idea that the overloading of different functions on the same hardware is an important design principle that helps to understand and build both evolved and designed systems. Learning to hack existing polycomputing substrates, as well as to evolve and design new ones, will have massive impacts on regenerative medicine, robotics, and computer engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Bongard
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600, Medford, MA 02155, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +(617)-627-6161
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7
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Wang J, Wang Y, Kim Y, Yu T, Bashir R. Multi-actuator light-controlled biological robots. APL Bioeng 2022; 6:036103. [PMID: 36035771 PMCID: PMC9417571 DOI: 10.1063/5.0091507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biohybrid robots, composed of cellular actuators and synthetic scaffolds, have garnered much attention in recent years owing to the advantages provided by their biological components. In recent years, various forms of biohybrid robots have been developed that are capable of life-like movements, such as walking, swimming, and gripping. Specifically, for walking or crawling biorobots, there is a need for complex functionality and versatile and robust fabrication processes. Here, we designed and fabricated multi-actuator biohybrid walkers with multi-directional walking capabilities in response to noninvasive optical stimulation through a scalable modular biofabrication process. Our new fabrication approach provides a constant mechanical strain throughout the cellular differentiation and maturation process. This maximizes the myotube formation and alignment, limits passive bending, and produces higher active forces. These demonstrations of the new fabrication process and bioactuator designs can pave the way for advanced multi-cellular biohybrid robots and enhance our understanding of the emergent behaviors of these multi-cellular engineered living systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tianqi Yu
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61820, USA
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8
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Clawson WP, Levin M. Endless forms most beautiful 2.0: teleonomy and the bioengineering of chimaeric and synthetic organisms. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The rich variety of biological forms and behaviours results from one evolutionary history on Earth, via frozen accidents and selection in specific environments. This ubiquitous baggage in natural, familiar model species obscures the plasticity and swarm intelligence of cellular collectives. Significant gaps exist in our understanding of the origin of anatomical novelty, of the relationship between genome and form, and of strategies for control of large-scale structure and function in regenerative medicine and bioengineering. Analysis of living forms that have never existed before is necessary to reveal deep design principles of life as it can be. We briefly review existing examples of chimaeras, cyborgs, hybrots and other beings along the spectrum containing evolved and designed systems. To drive experimental progress in multicellular synthetic morphology, we propose teleonomic (goal-seeking, problem-solving) behaviour in diverse problem spaces as a powerful invariant across possible beings regardless of composition or origin. Cybernetic perspectives on chimaeric morphogenesis erase artificial distinctions established by past limitations of technology and imagination. We suggest that a multi-scale competency architecture facilitates evolution of robust problem-solving, living machines. Creation and analysis of novel living forms will be an essential testbed for the emerging field of diverse intelligence, with numerous implications across regenerative medicine, robotics and ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University , Medford, MA , USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University , Boston, MA , USA
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9
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Multi-scale Chimerism: An experimental window on the algorithms of anatomical control. Cells Dev 2022; 169:203764. [PMID: 34974205 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2021.203764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite the immense progress in genetics and cell biology, major knowledge gaps remain with respect to prediction and control of the global morphologies that will result from the cooperation of cells with known genomes. The understanding of cooperativity, competition, and synergy across diverse biological scales has been obscured by a focus on standard model systems that exhibit invariant species-specific anatomies. Morphogenesis of chimeric biological material is an especially instructive window on the control of biological growth and form because it emphasizes the need for prediction without reliance on familiar, standard outcomes. Here, we review an important and fascinating body of data from experiments utilizing DNA transfer, cell transplantation, organ grafting, and parabiosis. We suggest that these are all instances (at different levels of organization) of one general phenomenon: chimerism. Multi-scale chimeras are a powerful conceptual and experimental tool with which to probe the mapping between properties of components and large-scale anatomy: the laws of morphogenesis. The existing data and future advances in this field will impact not only the understanding of cooperation and the evolution of body forms, but also the design of strategies for system-level outcomes in regenerative medicine and swarm robotics.
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Abstract
In contrast to conventional hard actuators, soft actuators offer many vivid advantages, such as improved flexibility, adaptability, and reconfigurability, which are intrinsic to living systems. These properties make them particularly promising for different applications, including soft electronics, surgery, drug delivery, artificial organs, or prosthesis. The additional degree of freedom for soft actuatoric devices can be provided through the use of intelligent materials, which are able to change their structure, macroscopic properties, and shape under the influence of external signals. The use of such intelligent materials allows a substantial reduction of a device's size, which enables a number of applications that cannot be realized by externally powered systems. This review aims to provide an overview of the properties of intelligent synthetic and living/natural materials used for the fabrication of soft robotic devices. We discuss basic physical/chemical properties of the main kinds of materials (elastomers, gels, shape memory polymers and gels, liquid crystalline elastomers, semicrystalline ferroelectric polymers, gels and hydrogels, other swelling polymers, materials with volume change during melting/crystallization, materials with tunable mechanical properties, and living and naturally derived materials), how they are related to actuation and soft robotic application, and effects of micro/macro structures on shape transformation, fabrication methods, and we highlight selected applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Apsite
- Faculty of Engineering Science, Department of Biofabrication, University of Bayreuth, Ludwig Thoma Str. 36A, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sahar Salehi
- Department of Biomaterials, Center of Energy Technology und Materials Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Leonid Ionov
- Faculty of Engineering Science, Department of Biofabrication, University of Bayreuth, Ludwig Thoma Str. 36A, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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11
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Abramson CI, Levin M. Behaviorist approaches to investigating memory and learning: A primer for synthetic biology and bioengineering. Commun Integr Biol 2021; 14:230-247. [PMID: 34925687 PMCID: PMC8677006 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2021.2005863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The fields of developmental biology, biomedicine, and artificial life are being revolutionized by advances in synthetic morphology. The next phase of synthetic biology and bioengineering is resulting in the construction of novel organisms (biobots), which exhibit not only morphogenesis and physiology but functional behavior. It is now essential to begin to characterize the behavioral capacity of novel living constructs in terms of their ability to make decisions, form memories, learn from experience, and anticipate future stimuli. These synthetic organisms are highly diverse, and often do not resemble familiar model systems used in behavioral science. Thus, they represent an important context in which to begin to unify and standardize vocabulary and techniques across developmental biology, behavioral ecology, and neuroscience. To facilitate the study of behavior in novel living systems, we present a primer on techniques from the behaviorist tradition that can be used to probe the functions of any organism – natural, chimeric, or synthetic – regardless of the details of their construction or origin. These techniques provide a rich toolkit for advancing the fields of synthetic bioengineering, evolutionary developmental biology, basal cognition, exobiology, and robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles I Abramson
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology at Oklahoma State University, United States of America
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, United States of America
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12
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Murugan NJ, Kaltman DH, Jin PH, Chien M, Martinez R, Nguyen CQ, Kane A, Novak R, Ingber DE, Levin M. Mechanosensation Mediates Long-Range Spatial Decision-Making in an Aneural Organism. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2008161. [PMID: 34263487 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202008161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The unicellular protist Physarum polycephalum is an important emerging model for understanding how aneural organisms process information toward adaptive behavior. Here, it is revealed that Physarum can use mechanosensation to reliably make decisions about distant objects in its environment, preferentially growing in the direction of heavier, substrate-deforming, but chemically inert masses. This long-range sensing is abolished by gentle rhythmic mechanical disruption, changing substrate stiffness, or the addition of an inhibitor of mechanosensitive transient receptor potential channels. Additionally, it is demonstrated that Physarum does not respond to the absolute magnitude of strain. Computational modeling reveales that Physarum may perform this calculation by sensing the fraction of its perimeter that is distorted above a threshold substrate strain-a fundamentally novel method of mechanosensation. Using its body as both a distributed sensor array and computational substrate, this aneural organism leverages its unique morphology to make long-range decisions. Together, these data identify a surprising behavioral preference relying on biomechanical features and quantitatively characterize how the Physarum exploits physics to adaptively regulate its growth and shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirosha J Murugan
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Daniel H Kaltman
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Paul H Jin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Melanie Chien
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Ramses Martinez
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Cuong Q Nguyen
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Anna Kane
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Richard Novak
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Donald E Ingber
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02115, USA
- Vascular Biology Program and Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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13
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Abstract
Abstract
In the past few decades, robotics research has witnessed an increasingly high interest in miniaturized, intelligent, and integrated robots. The imperative component of a robot is the actuator that determines its performance. Although traditional rigid drives such as motors and gas engines have shown great prevalence in most macroscale circumstances, the reduction of these drives to the millimeter or even lower scale results in a significant increase in manufacturing difficulty accompanied by a remarkable performance decline. Biohybrid robots driven by living cells can be a potential solution to overcome these drawbacks by benefiting from the intrinsic microscale self-assembly of living tissues and high energy efficiency, which, among other unprecedented properties, also feature flexibility, self-repair, and even multiple degrees of freedom. This paper systematically reviews the development of biohybrid robots. First, the development of biological flexible drivers is introduced while emphasizing on their advantages over traditional drivers. Second, up-to-date works regarding biohybrid robots are reviewed in detail from three aspects: biological driving sources, actuator materials, and structures with associated control methodologies. Finally, the potential future applications and major challenges of biohybrid robots are explored.
Graphic abstract
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14
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Bongard J, Levin M. Living Things Are Not (20th Century) Machines: Updating Mechanism Metaphors in Light of the Modern Science of Machine Behavior. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.650726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most useful metaphors for driving scientific and engineering progress has been that of the “machine.” Much controversy exists about the applicability of this concept in the life sciences. Advances in molecular biology have revealed numerous design principles that can be harnessed to understand cells from an engineering perspective, and build novel devices to rationally exploit the laws of chemistry, physics, and computation. At the same time, organicists point to the many unique features of life, especially at larger scales of organization, which have resisted decomposition analysis and artificial implementation. Here, we argue that much of this debate has focused on inessential aspects of machines – classical properties which have been surpassed by advances in modern Machine Behavior and no longer apply. This emerging multidisciplinary field, at the interface of artificial life, machine learning, and synthetic bioengineering, is highlighting the inadequacy of existing definitions. Key terms such as machine, robot, program, software, evolved, designed, etc., need to be revised in light of technological and theoretical advances that have moved past the dated philosophical conceptions that have limited our understanding of both evolved and designed systems. Moving beyond contingent aspects of historical and current machines will enable conceptual tools that embrace inevitable advances in synthetic and hybrid bioengineering and computer science, toward a framework that identifies essential distinctions between fundamental concepts of devices and living agents. Progress in both theory and practical applications requires the establishment of a novel conception of “machines as they could be,” based on the profound lessons of biology at all scales. We sketch a perspective that acknowledges the remarkable, unique aspects of life to help re-define key terms, and identify deep, essential features of concepts for a future in which sharp boundaries between evolved and designed systems will not exist.
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Gao L, Akhtar MU, Yang F, Ahmad S, He J, Lian Q, Cheng W, Zhang J, Li D. Recent progress in engineering functional biohybrid robots actuated by living cells. Acta Biomater 2021; 121:29-40. [PMID: 33285324 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Living cells are highly scalable biological actuators found in nature, and they are efficient technological solutions to actuate robotic systems. Recent advancements in biofabrication and tissue engineering have bridged the gap to interface muscle cells with artificial technology. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in engineering the attributes of individual components for the development of fully functional biohybrid robots. First, we address the fabrication of biological actuators for biohybrid robots with muscle cells and tissues, including cardiomyocytes, skeletal muscles, insect tissues, and neuromuscular tissues, in well-organized pattern of 2D sheets and 3D constructs. Next, we discuss the performance of biohybrid robots for various biomimetic tasks such as swimming, walking, gripping, and pumping. Finally, the challenges and future directions in the development of biohybrid robots are described from different viewpoints of living material engineering, multiscale modeling, 3D printing for manufacturing, and multifunctional robotic system development.
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16
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Webster-Wood VA, Akkus O, Gurkan UA, Chiel HJ, Quinn RD. Organismal Engineering: Towards a Robotic Taxonomic Key for Devices Using Organic Materials. Sci Robot 2021; 2. [PMID: 31360812 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aap9281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Can we create robots with the behavioral flexibility and robustness of animals? Engineers often use bio-inspiration to mimic animals. Recent advances in tissue engineering now allow the use of components from animals. By integrating organic and synthetic components, researchers are moving towards the development of engineered organisms whose structural framework, actuation, sensing, and control are partially or completely organic. This review discusses recent exciting work demonstrating how organic components can be used for all facets of robot development. Based on this analysis, we propose a Robotic Taxonomic Key to guide the field towards a unified lexicon for device description.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ozan Akkus
- Dept. of Mech. and Aero. Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Dept. of Orthopaedics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Umut A Gurkan
- Dept. of Mech. and Aero. Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Dept. of Orthopaedics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Hillel J Chiel
- Dept. of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Dept. of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Roger D Quinn
- Dept. of Mech. and Aero. Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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17
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Abstract
Meaning has traditionally been regarded as a problem for philosophers and psychologists. Advances in cognitive science since the early 1960s, however, broadened discussions of meaning, or more technically, the semantics of perceptions, representations, and/or actions, into biology and computer science. Here, we review the notion of “meaning” as it applies to living systems, and argue that the question of how living systems create meaning unifies the biological and cognitive sciences across both organizational and temporal scales.
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18
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Life, death, and self: Fundamental questions of primitive cognition viewed through the lens of body plasticity and synthetic organisms. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 564:114-133. [PMID: 33162026 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.10.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Central to the study of cognition is being able to specify the Subject that is making decisions and owning memories and preferences. However, all real cognitive agents are made of parts (such as brains made of cells). The integration of many active subunits into a coherent Self appearing at a larger scale of organization is one of the fundamental questions of evolutionary cognitive science. Typical biological model systems, whether basal or advanced, have a static anatomical structure which obscures important aspects of the mind-body relationship. Recent advances in bioengineering now make it possible to assemble, disassemble, and recombine biological structures at the cell, organ, and whole organism levels. Regenerative biology and controlled chimerism reveal that studies of cognition in intact, "standard", evolved animal bodies are just a narrow slice of a much bigger and as-yet largely unexplored reality: the incredible plasticity of dynamic morphogenesis of biological forms that house and support diverse types of cognition. The ability to produce living organisms in novel configurations makes clear that traditional concepts, such as body, organism, genetic lineage, death, and memory are not as well-defined as commonly thought, and need considerable revision to account for the possible spectrum of living entities. Here, I review fascinating examples of experimental biology illustrating that the boundaries demarcating somatic and cognitive Selves are fluid, providing an opportunity to sharpen inquiries about how evolution exploits physical forces for multi-scale cognition. Developmental (pre-neural) bioelectricity contributes a novel perspective on how the dynamic control of growth and form of the body evolved into sophisticated cognitive capabilities. Most importantly, the development of functional biobots - synthetic living machines with behavioral capacity - provides a roadmap for greatly expanding our understanding of the origin and capacities of cognition in all of its possible material implementations, especially those that emerge de novo, with no lengthy evolutionary history of matching behavioral programs to bodyplan. Viewing fundamental questions through the lens of new, constructed living forms will have diverse impacts, not only in basic evolutionary biology and cognitive science, but also in regenerative medicine of the brain and in artificial intelligence.
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19
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Braun M, Fernau S, Dabrock P. (Re-)Designing Nature? An Overview and Outlook on the Ethical and Societal Challenges in Synthetic Biology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 3:e1800326. [PMID: 32648715 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201800326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This structured literature analysis aims to map the current, emerging, and predicted future of synthetic biology (SB) by putting the focus on the implied conceptual, societal, and ethical challenges. The central objective of the analysis is to provide an initial systematization of the ethical and socio-scientific debate on SB by structuring and categorizing widely discussed issues within the debate in recent years. Starting with the quest for possible definitions, issues of biosafety and biosecurity are emphasized. Furthermore, the focus is on the more conceptual challenges of SB, including the relationship between natural and synthetic, or concepts of life and living. From the very beginning, one specific characteristic of SB has been a strong entanglement with different forms of public participation. In some respects SB has already taken a leading position in claiming and orchestrating itself as an integrative and participatory discipline. After addressing SB as an emerging biotechnology at the interface between science and society, a venture is initiated to focus on the possible regulatory and governmental challenges which are entangled in SB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Braun
- Chair of Systematic Theology II (Ethics), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Kochstraße 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sandra Fernau
- Chair of Systematic Theology II (Ethics), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Kochstraße 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter Dabrock
- Chair of Systematic Theology II (Ethics), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Kochstraße 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
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20
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Fields C, Levin M. Scale-Free Biology: Integrating Evolutionary and Developmental Thinking. Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900228. [PMID: 32537770 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
When the history of life on earth is viewed as a history of cell division, all of life becomes a single cell lineage. The growth and differentiation of this lineage in reciprocal interaction with its environment can be viewed as a developmental process; hence the evolution of life on earth can also be seen as the development of life on earth. Here, in reviewing this field, some potentially fruitful research directions suggested by this change in perspective are highlighted. Variation and selection become, for example, bidirectional information flows between scales, while the notions of "cooperation" and "competition" become scale relative. The language of communication, inference, and information processing becomes more useful than the language of causation to describe the interactions of both homogeneous and heterogeneous living systems at any scale. Emerging scale-free theoretical frameworks such as predictive coding and active inference provide conceptual tools for reconceptualizing biology as the study of a unified, multiscale dynamical system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Fields
- 23 Rue des Lavandieres, 11160 Caunes Minervois, France
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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21
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Cervera J, Meseguer S, Levin M, Mafe S. Bioelectrical model of head-tail patterning based on cell ion channels and intercellular gap junctions. Bioelectrochemistry 2020; 132:107410. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2019.107410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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22
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Raman R, Langer R. Biohybrid Design Gets Personal: New Materials for Patient-Specific Therapy. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1901969. [PMID: 31271257 PMCID: PMC6942246 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201901969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Precision medicine requires materials and devices that can sense and adapt to dynamic physiological and pathological conditions. This motivates the design and manufacture of biohybrid materials that mimic the responsive behaviors demonstrated by natural biological systems. Two parallel approaches to biohybrid design are presented-biomimetics and biointegration. Biohybrid hydrogels that mimic the form and function of natural materials, or that integrate living cells or bioactive moieties, can respond to a range of environmental stimuli in parallel, including heat, light, pH, hydration, enzymes, and electric, mechanical, and magnetic forces. A range of examples that illustrate the tremendous potential of this nascent discipline are presented, and ongoing technical challenges related to manufacturing, storage, transport, and external noninvasive control of these materials that will need to be overcome in the coming years are outlined. The ethical, educational, and regulatory challenges that will govern translation of biohybrid design into medical applications are also discussed. Personalized medical therapies that target the precise needs of patients are a critically needed and expanding market. Biohybrid design offers the unique ability to manufacture materials and devices that match the dynamic and patient-specific in vivo environment, promising to generate more effective and safe therapies that enable personalized care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Raman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main St., Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Robert Langer
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main St., Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
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23
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Koens R, Tabata Y, Serrano JC, Aratake S, Yoshino D, Kamm RD, Funamoto K. Microfluidic platform for three-dimensional cell culture under spatiotemporal heterogeneity of oxygen tension. APL Bioeng 2020; 4:016106. [PMID: 32161836 PMCID: PMC7060087 DOI: 10.1063/1.5127069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells in a tumor microenvironment are exposed to spatial and temporal variations in oxygen tension due to hyperproliferation and immature vascularization. Such spatiotemporal oxygen heterogeneity affects the behavior of cancer cells, leading to cancer growth and metastasis, and thus, it is essential to clarify the cellular responses of cancer cells to oxygen tension. Herein, we describe a new double-layer microfluidic device allowing the control of oxygen tension and the behavior of cancer cells under spatiotemporal oxygen heterogeneity. Two parallel gas channels were located above the media and gel channels to enhance gas exchange, and a gas-impermeable polycarbonate film was embedded in the device to prevent the diffusion of atmospheric oxygen. Variations in oxygen tension in the device with the experimental parameters and design variables were investigated computationally and validated by using oxygen-sensitive nanoparticles. The present device can generate a uniform hypoxic condition at oxygen levels down to 0.3% O2, as well as a linear oxygen gradient from 3% O2 to 17% O2 across the gel channel within 15 min. Moreover, human breast cancer cells suspended in type I collagen gel were introduced in the gel channel to observe their response under controlled oxygen tension. Hypoxic exposure activated the proliferation and motility of the cells, which showed a local maximum increase at 5% O2. Under the oxygen gradient condition, the increase in the cell number was relatively high in the central mild hypoxia region. These findings demonstrate the utility of the present device to study cellular responses in an oxygen-controlled microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rei Koens
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-12 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | | | - Jean C. Serrano
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | | | | | - Roger D. Kamm
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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24
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Pagan-Diaz GJ, Ramos-Cruz KP, Sam R, Kandel ME, Aydin O, Saif MTA, Popescu G, Bashir R. Engineering geometrical 3-dimensional untethered in vitro neural tissue mimic. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:25932-25940. [PMID: 31796592 PMCID: PMC6926042 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916138116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Formation of tissue models in 3 dimensions is more effective in recapitulating structure and function compared to their 2-dimensional (2D) counterparts. Formation of 3D engineered tissue to control shape and size can have important implications in biomedical research and in engineering applications such as biological soft robotics. While neural spheroids routinely are created during differentiation processes, further geometric control of in vitro neural models has not been demonstrated. Here, we present an approach to form functional in vitro neural tissue mimic (NTM) of different shapes using stem cells, a fibrin matrix, and 3D printed molds. We used murine-derived embryonic stem cells for optimizing cell-seeding protocols, characterization of the resulting internal structure of the construct, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix, as well as validation of electrophysiological activity. Then, we used these findings to biofabricate these constructs using neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells. This method can provide a large degree of design flexibility for development of in vitro functional neural tissue models of varying forms for therapeutic biomedical research, drug discovery, and disease modeling, and engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gelson J Pagan-Diaz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Karla P Ramos-Cruz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Richard Sam
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Mikhail E Kandel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Onur Aydin
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - M Taher A Saif
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Gabriel Popescu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
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25
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Sample M, Boulicault M, Allen C, Bashir R, Hyun I, Levis M, Lowenthal C, Mertz D, Montserrat N, Palmer MJ, Saha K, Zartman J. Multi-cellular engineered living systems: building a community around responsible research on emergence. Biofabrication 2019; 11:043001. [PMID: 31158828 PMCID: PMC7551891 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ab268c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ranging from miniaturized biological robots to organoids, multi-cellular engineered living systems (M-CELS) pose complex ethical and societal challenges. Some of these challenges, such as how to best distribute risks and benefits, are likely to arise in the development of any new technology. Other challenges arise specifically because of the particular characteristics of M-CELS. For example, as an engineered living system becomes increasingly complex, it may provoke societal debate about its moral considerability, perhaps necessitating protection from harm or recognition of positive moral and legal rights, particularly if derived from cells of human origin. The use of emergence-based principles in M-CELS development may also create unique challenges, making the technology difficult to fully control or predict in the laboratory as well as in applied medical or environmental settings. In response to these challenges, we argue that the M-CELS community has an obligation to systematically address the ethical and societal aspects of research and to seek input from and accountability to a broad range of stakeholders and publics. As a newly developing field, M-CELS has a significant opportunity to integrate ethically responsible norms and standards into its research and development practices from the start. With the aim of seizing this opportunity, we identify two general kinds of salient ethical issues arising from M-CELS research, and then present a set of commitments to and strategies for addressing these issues. If adopted, these commitments and strategies would help define M-CELS as not only an innovative field, but also as a model for responsible research and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Sample
- Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal and Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Canada
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26
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Grant L, Raman R, Cvetkovic C, Ferrall-Fairbanks MC, Pagan-Diaz GJ, Hadley P, Ko E, Platt MO, Bashir R. Long-Term Cryopreservation and Revival of Tissue-Engineered Skeletal Muscle. Tissue Eng Part A 2019; 25:1023-1036. [PMID: 30412045 PMCID: PMC6916121 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2018.0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPACT STATEMENT The ability to freeze, revive, and prolong the lifetime of tissue-engineered skeletal muscle without incurring any loss of function represents a significant advancement in the field of tissue engineering. Cryopreservation enables the efficient fabrication, storage, and shipment of these tissues. This in turn facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration between research groups, enabling advances in skeletal muscle regenerative medicine, organ-on-a-chip models of disease, drug testing, and soft robotics. Furthermore, the observation that freezing undifferentiated skeletal muscle enhances functional performance may motivate future studies developing stronger and more clinically relevant engineered muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Grant
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Ritu Raman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Caroline Cvetkovic
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Meghan C. Ferrall-Fairbanks
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Gelson J. Pagan-Diaz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Pierce Hadley
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Eunkyung Ko
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Manu O. Platt
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
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27
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Cervera J, Pai VP, Levin M, Mafe S. From non-excitable single-cell to multicellular bioelectrical states supported by ion channels and gap junction proteins: Electrical potentials as distributed controllers. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 149:39-53. [PMID: 31255702 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2019.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Endogenous bioelectric patterns within tissues are an important driver of morphogenesis and a tractable component of a number of disease states. Developing system-level understanding of the dynamics by which non-neural bioelectric circuits regulate complex downstream cascades is a key step towards both, an evolutionary understanding of ion channel genes, and novel strategies in regenerative medicine. An important capability gap is deriving rational modulation strategies targeting individual cells' bioelectric states to achieve global (tissue- or organ-level) outcomes. Here, we develop an ion channel-based model that describes multicellular states on the basis of spatio-temporal patterns of electrical potentials in aggregates of non-excitable cells. The model is of biological interest because modern techniques allow to associate bioelectrical signals with specific ion channel proteins in the cell membrane that are central to embryogenesis, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. As a complementary approach to the usual biochemical description, we have studied four biophysical questions: (i) how can single-cell bioelectrical states be established; (ii) how can a change in the cell potential caused by a transient perturbation of the cell state be maintained after the stimulus is gone (bioelectrical memory); (iii) how can a single-cell contribute to the control of multicellular ensembles based on the spatio-temporal pattern of electrical potentials; and (iv) how can oscillatory patterns arise from the single-cell bioelectrical dynamics. Experimentally, endogenous bioelectric gradients have emerged as instructive agents for morphogenetic processes. In this context, the simulations can guide new procedures that may allow a distributed control of the multicellular ensemble.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Cervera
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Universitat de València, E-46100, Burjassot, Spain.
| | - Vaibhav P Pai
- Dept. of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155-4243, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Dept. of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155-4243, USA
| | - Salvador Mafe
- Dept. Termodinàmica, Universitat de València, E-46100, Burjassot, Spain
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Manicka S, Levin M. The Cognitive Lens: a primer on conceptual tools for analysing information processing in developmental and regenerative morphogenesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180369. [PMID: 31006373 PMCID: PMC6553590 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Brains exhibit plasticity, multi-scale integration of information, computation and memory, having evolved by specialization of non-neural cells that already possessed many of the same molecular components and functions. The emerging field of basal cognition provides many examples of decision-making throughout a wide range of non-neural systems. How can biological information processing across scales of size and complexity be quantitatively characterized and exploited in biomedical settings? We use pattern regulation as a context in which to introduce the Cognitive Lens-a strategy using well-established concepts from cognitive and computer science to complement mechanistic investigation in biology. To facilitate the assimilation and application of these approaches across biology, we review tools from various quantitative disciplines, including dynamical systems, information theory and least-action principles. We propose that these tools can be extended beyond neural settings to predict and control systems-level outcomes, and to understand biological patterning as a form of primitive cognition. We hypothesize that a cognitive-level information-processing view of the functions of living systems can complement reductive perspectives, improving efficient top-down control of organism-level outcomes. Exploration of the deep parallels across diverse quantitative paradigms will drive integrative advances in evolutionary biology, regenerative medicine, synthetic bioengineering, cognitive neuroscience and artificial intelligence. This article is part of the theme issue 'Liquid brains, solid brains: How distributed cognitive architectures process information'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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29
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Hasebe A, Suematsu Y, Takeoka S, Mazzocchi T, Vannozzi L, Ricotti L, Fujie T. Biohybrid Actuators Based on Skeletal Muscle-Powered Microgrooved Ultrathin Films Consisting of Poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene). ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:5734-5743. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b01550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arihiro Hasebe
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, 2-2, Sinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Suematsu
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, 2-2, Sinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Shinji Takeoka
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, 2-2, Sinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Tommaso Mazzocchi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Vannozzi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leonardo Ricotti
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Toshinori Fujie
- Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University, TWIns, 2-2, Sinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO, 4-1-8, Honcho,
Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, B-50, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
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30
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Li Z, Seo Y, Aydin O, Elhebeary M, Kamm RD, Kong H, Saif MTA. Biohybrid valveless pump-bot powered by engineered skeletal muscle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:1543-1548. [PMID: 30635415 PMCID: PMC6358718 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817682116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pumps are critical life-sustaining components for all animals. At the earliest stages of life, the tubular embryonic heart works as a valveless pump capable of generating unidirectional blood flow. Inspired by this elementary pump, we developed an example of a biohybrid valveless pump-bot powered by engineered skeletal muscle. Our pump-bot consists of a soft hydrogel tube connected at both ends to a stiffer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) scaffold, creating an impedance mismatch. A contractile muscle ring wraps around the hydrogel tube at an off-center location, squeezing the tube with or without buckling it locally. Cyclic muscle contractions, spontaneous or electrically stimulated, further squeeze the tube, resulting in elastic waves that propagate along the soft tube and get reflected back at the soft/stiff tube boundaries. Asymmetric placement of muscle ring results in a time delay between the wave arrivals, thus establishing a net unidirectional fluid flow irrespective of whether the tube is buckled or not. Flow rates of up to 22.5 μL/min are achieved by the present pump-bot, which are at least three orders of magnitude higher than those from cardiomyocyte-powered valve pumps of similar size. Owning to its simple geometry, robustness, ease of fabrication, and high pumping performance, our pump-bot is particularly well-suited for a wide range of biomedical applications in microfluidics, drug delivery, biomedical devices, cardiovascular pumping system, and more.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Li
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Yongbeom Seo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Onur Aydin
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Mohamed Elhebeary
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Roger D Kamm
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Hyunjoon Kong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - M Taher A Saif
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801;
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
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31
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Badiola-Mateos M, Hervera A, Del Río JA, Samitier J. Challenges and Future Prospects on 3D in-vitro Modeling of the Neuromuscular Circuit. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 6:194. [PMID: 30622944 PMCID: PMC6297173 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Movement of skeletal-muscle fibers is generated by the coordinated action of several cells taking part within the locomotion circuit (motoneurons, sensory-neurons, Schwann cells, astrocytes, microglia, and muscle-cells). Failures in any part of this circuit could impede or hinder coordinated muscle movement and cause a neuromuscular disease (NMD) or determine its severity. Studying fragments of the circuit cannot provide a comprehensive and complete view of the pathological process. We trace the historic developments of studies focused on in-vitro modeling of the spinal-locomotion circuit and how bioengineered innovative technologies show advantages for an accurate mimicking of physiological conditions of spinal-locomotion circuit. New developments on compartmentalized microfluidic culture systems (cμFCS), the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and 3D cell-cultures are analyzed. We finally address limitations of current study models and three main challenges on neuromuscular studies: (i) mimic the whole spinal-locomotion circuit including all cell-types involved and the evaluation of independent and interdependent roles of each one; (ii) mimic the neurodegenerative response of mature neurons in-vitro as it occurs in-vivo; and (iii) develop, tune, implement, and combine cμFCS, hiPSC, and 3D-culture technologies to ultimately create patient-specific complete, translational, and reliable NMD in-vitro model. Overcoming these challenges would significantly facilitate understanding the events taking place in NMDs and accelerate the process of finding new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maider Badiola-Mateos
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia-Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Physics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arnau Hervera
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia-Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències de la Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Antonio Del Río
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia-Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències de la Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Samitier
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia-Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Physics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Madrid, Spain
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32
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Koman VB, Liu P, Kozawa D, Liu AT, Cottrill AL, Son Y, Lebron JA, Strano MS. Colloidal nanoelectronic state machines based on 2D materials for aerosolizable electronics. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 13:819-827. [PMID: 30038369 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-018-0194-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A previously unexplored property of two-dimensional electronic materials is their ability to graft electronic functionality onto colloidal particles to access local hydrodynamics in fluids to impart mobility and enter spaces inaccessible to larger electronic systems. Here, we demonstrate the design and fabrication of fully autonomous state machines built onto SU-8 particles powered by a two-dimensional material-based photodiode. The on-board circuit connects a chemiresistor circuit element and a memristor element, enabling the detection and storage of information after aerosolization, hydrodynamic propulsion to targets over 0.6 m away, and large-area surface sensing of triethylamine, ammonia and aerosolized soot in inaccessible locations. An incorporated retroreflector design allows for facile position location using laser-scanning optical detection. Such state machines may find widespread application as probes in confined environments, such as the human digestive tract, oil and gas conduits, chemical and biosynthetic reactors, and autonomous environmental sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volodymyr B Koman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pingwei Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- State Key Lab of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Daichi Kozawa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Albert Tianxiang Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anton L Cottrill
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Youngwoo Son
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jose A Lebron
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael S Strano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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33
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Ye K, Kaplan DL, Bao G, Bettinger C, Forgacs G, Dong C, Khademhosseini A, Ke Y, Leong K, Sambanis A, Sun W, Yin P. Advanced Cell and Tissue Biomanufacturing. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2018; 4:2292-2307. [PMID: 33435095 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b00650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
This position paper assesses state-of-the-art advanced biomanufacturing and identifies paths forward to advance this emerging field in biotechnology and biomedical engineering, including new research opportunities and translational and corporate activities. The vision for the field is to see advanced biomanufacturing emerge as a discipline in academic and industrial communities as well as a technological opportunity to spur research and industry growth. To navigate this vision, the paths to move forward and to identify major barriers were a focal point of discussions at a National Science Foundation-sponsored workshop focused on the topic. Some of the major needs include but are not limited to the integration of specific scientific and engineering disciplines and guidance from regulatory agencies, infrastructure requirements, and strategies for reliable systems integration. Some of the recommendations, major targets, and opportunities were also outlined, including some "grand challenges" to spur interest and progress in the field based on the participants at the workshop. Many of these recommendations have been expanded, materialized, and adopted by the field. For instance, the formation of an initial collaboration network in the community was established. This report provides suggestions for the opportunities and challenges to help move the field of advanced biomanufacturing forward. The field is in the early stages of effecting science and technology in biomanufacturing with a bright and important future impact evident based on the rapid scientific advances in recent years and industry progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiming Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Binghamton University, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Gang Bao
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Christopher Bettinger
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Gabor Forgacs
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States.,Modern Meadow, Inc., 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Cheng Dong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Ali Khademhosseini
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Yonggang Ke
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Kam Leong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Columbia University, New York City, New York 10027, United States
| | | | - Wei Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, College of Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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34
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Herrera-Rincon C, Levin M. Booting up the organism during development: Pre-behavioral functions of the vertebrate brain in guiding body morphogenesis. Commun Integr Biol 2018; 11:e1433440. [PMID: 29497473 PMCID: PMC5824965 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2018.1433440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A recent study in Xenopus laevis embryos showed that the very early brain has important functions long before behavior. While the nascent brain is being constructed, it is required for normal patterning of the muscle and peripheral nerve networks, including those far away from the head. In addition to providing important developmental signals to remote tissues in normal embryogenesis, its presence is also able to render harmless exposure to specific chemicals that normally act as teratogens. These activities of the early brain can be partially compensated for in a brainless embryo by experimental modulation of neurotransmitter and ion channel signaling. Here, we discuss the major findings of this paper in the broader context of developmental physiology, neuroscience, and biomedicine. This novel function of the embryonic brain has significant implications, especially for understanding developmental toxicology and teratogenesis in the context of pharmaceutical and environmental reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Herrera-Rincon
- Allen Discovery Center, and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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35
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Prox J, Smith T, Holl C, Chehade N, Guo L. Integrated biocircuits: engineering functional multicellular circuits and devices. J Neural Eng 2018; 15:023001. [DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aaa906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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36
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Levin M, Martyniuk CJ. The bioelectric code: An ancient computational medium for dynamic control of growth and form. Biosystems 2018; 164:76-93. [PMID: 28855098 PMCID: PMC10464596 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
What determines large-scale anatomy? DNA does not directly specify geometrical arrangements of tissues and organs, and a process of encoding and decoding for morphogenesis is required. Moreover, many species can regenerate and remodel their structure despite drastic injury. The ability to obtain the correct target morphology from a diversity of initial conditions reveals that the morphogenetic code implements a rich system of pattern-homeostatic processes. Here, we describe an important mechanism by which cellular networks implement pattern regulation and plasticity: bioelectricity. All cells, not only nerves and muscles, produce and sense electrical signals; in vivo, these processes form bioelectric circuits that harness individual cell behaviors toward specific anatomical endpoints. We review emerging progress in reading and re-writing anatomical information encoded in bioelectrical states, and discuss the approaches to this problem from the perspectives of information theory, dynamical systems, and computational neuroscience. Cracking the bioelectric code will enable much-improved control over biological patterning, advancing basic evolutionary developmental biology as well as enabling numerous applications in regenerative medicine and synthetic bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600 Medford, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida Genetics Institute, Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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37
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Ricotti L, Trimmer B, Feinberg AW, Raman R, Parker KK, Bashir R, Sitti M, Martel S, Dario P, Menciassi A. Biohybrid actuators for robotics: A review of devices actuated by living cells. Sci Robot 2017; 2:2/12/eaaq0495. [PMID: 33157905 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aaq0495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Actuation is essential for artificial machines to interact with their surrounding environment and to accomplish the functions for which they are designed. Over the past few decades, there has been considerable progress in developing new actuation technologies. However, controlled motion still represents a considerable bottleneck for many applications and hampers the development of advanced robots, especially at small length scales. Nature has solved this problem using molecular motors that, through living cells, are assembled into multiscale ensembles with integrated control systems. These systems can scale force production from piconewtons up to kilonewtons. By leveraging the performance of living cells and tissues and directly interfacing them with artificial components, it should be possible to exploit the intricacy and metabolic efficiency of biological actuation within artificial machines. We provide a survey of important advances in this biohybrid actuation paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Ricotti
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Barry Trimmer
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02153, USA
| | - Adam W Feinberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ritu Raman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kevin K Parker
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Metin Sitti
- Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Sylvain Martel
- NanoRobotics Laboratory, Department of Computer and Software Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Paolo Dario
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Arianna Menciassi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
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38
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Raman R, Bashir R. Biomimicry, Biofabrication, and Biohybrid Systems: The Emergence and Evolution of Biological Design. Adv Healthc Mater 2017; 6. [PMID: 28881469 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201700496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The discipline of biological design has a relatively short history, but has undergone very rapid expansion and development over that time. This Progress Report outlines the evolution of this field from biomimicry to biofabrication to biohybrid systems' design, showcasing how each subfield incorporates bioinspired dynamic adaptation into engineered systems. Ethical implications of biological design are discussed, with an emphasis on establishing responsible practices for engineering non-natural or hypernatural functional behaviors in biohybrid systems. This report concludes with recommendations for implementing biological design into educational curricula, ensuring effective and responsible practices for the next generation of engineers and scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Raman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02142 USA
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering Carle Illinois College of Medicine Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
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39
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Shutko AV, Gorbunov VS, Guria KG, Agladze KI. Biocontractile microfluidic channels for peristaltic pumping. Biomed Microdevices 2017; 19:72. [DOI: 10.1007/s10544-017-0216-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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40
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Cvetkovic C, Ferrall-Fairbanks MC, Ko E, Grant L, Kong H, Platt MO, Bashir R. Investigating the Life Expectancy and Proteolytic Degradation of Engineered Skeletal Muscle Biological Machines. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3775. [PMID: 28630410 PMCID: PMC5476614 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03723-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A combination of techniques from 3D printing, tissue engineering and biomaterials has yielded a new class of engineered biological robots that could be reliably controlled via applied signals. These machines are powered by a muscle strip composed of differentiated skeletal myofibers in a matrix of natural proteins, including fibrin, that provide physical support and cues to the cells as an engineered basement membrane. However, maintaining consistent results becomes challenging when sustaining a living system in vitro. Skeletal muscle must be preserved in a differentiated state and the system is subject to degradation by proteolytic enzymes that can break down its mechanical integrity. Here we examine the life expectancy, breakdown, and device failure of engineered skeletal muscle bio-bots as a result of degradation by three classes of proteases: plasmin, cathepsin L, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9). We also demonstrate the use of gelatin zymography to determine the effects of differentiation and inhibitor concentration on protease expression. With this knowledge, we are poised to design the next generation of complex biological machines with controllable function, specific life expectancy and greater consistency. These results could also prove useful for the study of disease-specific models, treatments of myopathies, and other tissue engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Cvetkovic
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Meghan C Ferrall-Fairbanks
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, 30332, Georgia, USA
| | - Eunkyung Ko
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Lauren Grant
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Hyunjoon Kong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Manu O Platt
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, 30332, Georgia, USA.
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA.
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA.
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA.
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41
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Cvetkovic C, Rich MH, Raman R, Kong H, Bashir R. A 3D-printed platform for modular neuromuscular motor units. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2017; 3:17015. [PMID: 31057862 PMCID: PMC6444989 DOI: 10.1038/micronano.2017.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
A complex and functional living cellular system requires the interaction of one or more cell types to perform specific tasks, such as sensing, processing, or force production. Modular and flexible platforms for fabrication of such multi-cellular modules and their characterization have been lacking. Here, we present a modular cellular system, made up of multi-layered tissue rings containing integrated skeletal muscle and motor neurons (MNs) embedded in an extracellular matrix. The MNs were differentiated from mouse embryonic stem cells through the formation of embryoid bodies (EBs), which are spherical aggregations of cells grown in a suspension culture. The EBs were integrated into a tissue ring with skeletal muscle, which was differentiated in parallel, to create a co-culture amenable to both cell types. The multi-layered rings were then sequentially placed on a stationary three-dimensional-printed hydrogel structure resembling an anatomical muscle-tendon-bone organization. We demonstrate that the site-specific innervation of a group of muscle fibers in the multi-layered tissue rings allows for muscle contraction via chemical stimulation of MNs with glutamate, a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian nervous system, with the frequency of contraction increasing with glutamate concentration. The addition of tubocurarine chloride (a nicotinic receptor antagonist) halted the contractions, indicating that muscle contraction was MN induced. With a bio-fabricated system permitting controllable mechanical and geometric attributes in a range of length scales, our novel engineered cellular system can be utilized for easier integration of other modular "building blocks" in living cellular and biological machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Cvetkovic
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Max H. Rich
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Ritu Raman
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Hyunjoon Kong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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42
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Raman R, Grant L, Seo Y, Cvetkovic C, Gapinske M, Palasz A, Dabbous H, Kong H, Pinera PP, Bashir R. Damage, Healing, and Remodeling in Optogenetic Skeletal Muscle Bioactuators. Adv Healthc Mater 2017; 6:10.1002/adhm.201700030. [PMID: 28489332 PMCID: PMC8257561 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201700030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A deeper understanding of biological materials and the design principles that govern them, combined with the enabling technology of 3D printing, has given rise to the idea of "building with biology." Using these materials and tools, bio-hybrid robots or bio-bots, which adaptively sense and respond to their environment, can be manufactured. Skeletal muscle bioactuators are developed to power these bio-bots, and an approach is presented to make them dynamically responsive to changing environmental loads and robustly resilient to induced damage. Specifically, since the predominant cause of skeletal muscle loss of function is mechanical damage, the underlying mechanisms of damage are investigated in vitro, and an in vivo inspired healing strategy is developed to counteract this damage. The protocol that is developed yields complete recovery of healthy tissue functionality within two days of damage, setting the stage for a more robust, resilient, and adaptive bioactuator technology than previously demonstrated. Understanding and exploiting the adaptive response behaviors inherent within biological systems in this manner is a crucial step forward in designing bio-hybrid machines that are broadly applicable to grand engineering challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Raman
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Micro and Nano Technology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Lauren Grant
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Yongbeom Seo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Caroline Cvetkovic
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Michael Gapinske
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Alexandra Palasz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Howard Dabbous
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Hyunjoon Kong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Pablo Perez Pinera
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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Ricotti L, Fujie T. Thin polymeric films for building biohybrid microrobots. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2017; 12:021001. [PMID: 28263945 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aa5e5f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This paper aims to describe the disruptive potential that polymeric thin films have in the field of biohybrid devices and to review the recent efforts in this area. Thin (thickness < 1 mm) and ultra-thin (thickness < 1 µm) matrices possess a series of intriguing features, such as large surface area/volume ratio, high flexibility, chemical and physical surface tailorability, etc. This enables the fabrication of advanced bio/non-bio interfaces able to efficiently drive cell-material interactions, which are the key for optimizing biohybrid device performances. Thin films can thus represent suitable platforms on which living and artificial elements are coupled, with the aim of exploiting the unique features of living cells/tissues. This may allow to carry out certain tasks, not achievable with fully artificial technologies. In the paper, after a description of the desirable chemical/physical cues to be targeted and of the fabrication, functionalization and characterization procedures to be used for thin and ultra-thin films, the state-of-the-art of biohybrid microrobots based on micro/nano-membranes are described and discussed. The research efforts in this field are rather recent and they focus on: (1) self-beating cells (such as cardiomyocytes) able to induce a relatively large deformation of the underlying substrates, but affected by a limited controllability by external users; (2) skeletal muscle cells, more difficult to engineer in mature and functional contractile tissues, but featured by a higher controllability. In this context, the different materials used and the performances achieved are analyzed. Despite recent interesting advancements and signs of maturity of this research field, important scientific and technological steps are still needed. In the paper some possible future perspectives are described, mainly concerning thin film manipulation and assembly in multilayer 3D systems, new advanced materials to be used for the fabrication of thin films, cell engineering opportunities and modelling/computational efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Ricotti
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera (Pisa), Italy
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A modular approach to the design, fabrication, and characterization of muscle-powered biological machines. Nat Protoc 2017; 12:519-533. [PMID: 28182019 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2016.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Biological machines consisting of cells and biomaterials have the potential to dynamically sense, process, respond, and adapt to environmental signals in real time. As a first step toward the realization of such machines, which will require biological actuators that can generate force and perform mechanical work, we have developed a method of manufacturing modular skeletal muscle actuators that can generate up to 1.7 mN (3.2 kPa) of passive tension force and 300 μN (0.56 kPa) of active tension force in response to external stimulation. Such millimeter-scale biological actuators can be coupled to a wide variety of 3D-printed skeletons to power complex output behaviors such as controllable locomotion. This article provides a comprehensive protocol for forward engineering of biological actuators and 3D-printed skeletons for any design application. 3D printing of the injection molds and skeletons requires 3 h, seeding the muscle actuators takes 2 h, and differentiating the muscle takes 7 d.
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Raman R, Mitchell M, Perez-Pinera P, Bashir R, DeStefano L. Design and integration of a problem-based biofabrication course into an undergraduate biomedical engineering curriculum. J Biol Eng 2016; 10:10. [PMID: 27688801 PMCID: PMC5031296 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-016-0032-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The rapidly evolving discipline of biological and biomedical engineering requires adaptive instructional approaches that teach students to target and solve multi-pronged and ill-structured problems at the cutting edge of scientific research. Here we present a modular approach to designing a lab-based course in the emerging field of biofabrication and biological design, leading to a final capstone design project that requires students to formulate and test a hypothesis using the scientific method. Results Students were assessed on a range of metrics designed to evaluate the format of the course, the efficacy of the format for teaching new topics and concepts, and the depth of the contribution this course made to students training for biological engineering careers. The evaluation showed that the problem-based format of the course was well suited to teaching students how to use the scientific method to investigate and uncover the fundamental biological design rules that govern the field of biofabrication. Conclusions We show that this approach is an efficient and effective method of translating emergent scientific principles from the lab bench to the classroom and training the next generation of biological and biomedical engineers for careers as researchers and industry practicians. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13036-016-0032-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Raman
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
| | - Marlon Mitchell
- I-STEM Education Initiative, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
| | - Pablo Perez-Pinera
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
| | - Rashid Bashir
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
| | - Lizanne DeStefano
- I-STEM Education Initiative, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA ; Center for Education Integrating Science Math and Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
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Zhang C, Wang J, Wang W, Xi N, Wang Y, Liu L. Modeling and analysis of bio-syncretic micro-swimmers for cardiomyocyte-based actuation. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2016; 11:056006. [PMID: 27545346 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/11/5/056006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Along with sensation and intelligence, actuation is one of the most important factors in the development of conventional robots. Many novel achievements have been made regarding bio-based actuators to solve the challenges of conventional actuation. However, few studies have focused on methods for controlling the movement performance of bio-syncretic robots by designing robotic structures and programming actuation bio-entities. In this paper, a theoretical model was derived considering kinematics and hydromechanics to describe the dynamics of a dolphin-shaped microstructure and to control the bio-syncretic swimmer movement by establishing the relationships between the swimming velocity of the bio-swimmer, the cell seeding concentration and the cell contractility. The proposed theoretical model was then verified with the fabricated biomimetic swimmer prototype actuated by equivalent external magnetism replacing the bio-entity force based on the study of living, beating cardiomyocyte contractility. This work can improve the development of bio-syncretic robots with an approach to preplanning the seeding concentration of cells for controlling the movement velocity of microstructures, and is also meaningful for biomimetic robots, medical treatments and interventional therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang, 10016, People's Republic of China. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
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Oyunbaatar NE, Lee DH, Patil SJ, Kim ES, Lee DW. Biomechanical Characterization of Cardiomyocyte Using PDMS Pillar with Microgrooves. SENSORS 2016; 16:s16081258. [PMID: 27517924 PMCID: PMC5017423 DOI: 10.3390/s16081258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes the surface-patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) pillar arrays for enhancing cell alignment and contraction force in cardiomyocytes. The PDMS micropillar (μpillar) arrays with microgrooves (μgrooves) were fabricated using a unique micro-mold made using SU-8 double layer processes. The spring constant of the μpillar arrays was experimentally confirmed using atomic force microscopy (AFM). After culturing cardiac cells on the two different types of μpillar arrays, with and without grooves on the top of μpillar, the characteristics of the cardiomyocytes were analyzed using a custom-made image analysis system. The alignment of the cardiomyocytes on the μgrooves of the μpillars was clearly observed using a DAPI staining process. The mechanical force generated by the contraction force of the cardiomyocytes was derived from the displacement of the μpillar arrays. The contraction force of the cardiomyocytes aligned on the μgrooves was 20% higher than that of the μpillar arrays without μgrooves. The experimental results prove that applied geometrical stimulus is an effective method for aligning and improving the contraction force of cardiomyocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nomin-Erdene Oyunbaatar
- MEMS and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea.
| | - Deok-Hyu Lee
- MEMS and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea.
| | - Swati J Patil
- MEMS and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea.
| | - Eung-Sam Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea.
| | - Dong-Weon Lee
- MEMS and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea.
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Sullivan KG, Emmons-Bell M, Levin M. Physiological inputs regulate species-specific anatomy during embryogenesis and regeneration. Commun Integr Biol 2016; 9:e1192733. [PMID: 27574538 PMCID: PMC4988443 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2016.1192733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A key problem in evolutionary developmental biology is identifying the sources of instructive information that determine species-specific anatomical pattern. Understanding the inputs to large-scale morphology is also crucial for efforts to manipulate pattern formation in regenerative medicine and synthetic bioengineering. Recent studies have revealed a physiological system of communication among cells that regulates pattern during embryogenesis and regeneration in vertebrate and invertebrate models. Somatic tissues form networks using the same ion channels, electrical synapses, and neurotransmitter mechanisms exploited by the brain for information-processing. Experimental manipulation of these circuits was recently shown to override genome default patterning outcomes, resulting in head shapes resembling those of other species in planaria and Xenopus. The ability to drastically alter macroscopic anatomy to that of other extant species, despite a wild-type genomic sequence, suggests exciting new approaches to the understanding and control of patterning. Here, we review these results and discuss hypotheses regarding non-genomic systems of instructive information that determine biological growth and form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly G Sullivan
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Tufts University , Medford, MA, USA
| | - Maya Emmons-Bell
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Tufts University , Medford, MA, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Tufts University , Medford, MA, USA
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Pietak A, Levin M. Exploring Instructive Physiological Signaling with the Bioelectric Tissue Simulation Engine. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2016; 4:55. [PMID: 27458581 PMCID: PMC4933718 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2016.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioelectric cell properties have been revealed as powerful targets for modulating stem cell function, regenerative response, developmental patterning, and tumor reprograming. Spatio-temporal distributions of endogenous resting potential, ion flows, and electric fields are influenced not only by the genome and external signals but also by their own intrinsic dynamics. Ion channels and electrical synapses (gap junctions) both determine, and are themselves gated by, cellular resting potential. Thus, the origin and progression of bioelectric patterns in multicellular tissues is complex, which hampers the rational control of voltage distributions for biomedical interventions. To improve understanding of these dynamics and facilitate the development of bioelectric pattern control strategies, we developed the BioElectric Tissue Simulation Engine (BETSE), a finite volume method multiphysics simulator, which predicts bioelectric patterns and their spatio-temporal dynamics by modeling ion channel and gap junction activity and tracking changes to the fundamental property of ion concentration. We validate performance of the simulator by matching experimentally obtained data on membrane permeability, ion concentration and resting potential to simulated values, and by demonstrating the expected outcomes for a range of well-known cases, such as predicting the correct transmembrane voltage changes for perturbation of single cell membrane states and environmental ion concentrations, in addition to the development of realistic transepithelial potentials and bioelectric wounding signals. In silico experiments reveal factors influencing transmembrane potential are significantly different in gap junction-networked cell clusters with tight junctions, and identify non-linear feedback mechanisms capable of generating strong, emergent, cluster-wide resting potential gradients. The BETSE platform will enable a deep understanding of local and long-range bioelectrical dynamics in tissues, and assist the development of specific interventions to achieve greater control of pattern during morphogenesis and remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Pietak
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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Abstract
There has been continuous progress in the development for biomedical engineering systems of hybrid muscle generated by combining skeletal muscle and artificial structure. The main factor affecting the actuation performance of hybrid muscle relies on the compatibility between living cells and their muscle scaffolds during cell culture. Here, we developed a hybrid muscle powered by C2C12 skeletal muscle cells based on the functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) sheets coated with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) to achieve biomimetic actuation. This hydrophilic hybrid muscle is physically durable in solution and responds to electric field stimulation with flexible movement. Furthermore, the biomimetic actuation when controlled by electric field stimulation results in movement similar to that of the hornworm by patterned cell culture method. The contraction and relaxation behavior of the PEDOT/MWCNT-based hybrid muscle is similar to that of the single myotube movement, but has faster relaxation kinetics because of the shape-maintenance properties of the freestanding PEDOT/MWCNT sheets in solution. Our development provides the potential possibility for substantial innovation in the next generation of cell-based biohybrid microsystems.
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