Biomimetic fracture model of lizard tail autotomy

MechanoBioCAD: a generalized semi-automated computational tool for mechanobiological studies

Soft micropillar arrays enable detailed studies of cellular mechanotransduction and biomechanics using traditional beam-bending models. However, they often rely on simplified assumptions, leading to significant errors in force estimation. We present MechanoBioCAD (MBC), a finite element method (FEM)-based tool designed specifically for micropillar research and error estimation. Unlike traditional methods, MBC leverages the principle of minimizing total potential energy, avoiding errors associated with beam bending assumptions. MBC automates FEM model generation, analysis, and post-processing, providing accurate force quantification based on deflection input. The tool addresses critical issues such as substrate deformation, interpillar interactions, improper load application heights, and nonlinear effects. Applied to fibroblast cell traction and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) thrashing cases, MBC recorded 23% and 34% errors in the estimated forces, respectively, compared to traditional methods. As an open-access tool with the Abaqus Student Edition, MBC democratizes rational design, analysis, and error estimation for researchers who are not subject matter experts in FEM.

Plant Bridge: Connecting Separated Objects Using Plant Growth

In recent years, there has been development in bio-hybrid actuators that utilize living organisms themselves, as opposed to biomimetics. However, most of the plants and animals used for these purposes are no longer actually alive, as their corpses, parts, or seeds are used. There is research on the use of microorganisms, but it is limited to use in building materials. Here, we focused on plants in terms of their ease of growth with water and light and their ability to change shape significantly from seed through growth. Therefore, we propose a material that incorporates living plants. The objective of this research is to realize the shape change of this material by using the property of plants to grow toward light. In the experiment, we confirmed that plants growing from two devices cross-linked between the devices by controlling the direction of growth using peas. The bridged plants did not break when a mass of up to 575 g was placed on it and indicated a load-bearing capacity of more than 6.6 times from the mass ratio. Then, it is demonstrated that the robot could cross over that.

Woven Cement Slurry

Weaving, a pivotal technique in human construction activities since the Neolithic era, remains unattainable in modern concrete construction. Here, a novel particle-polymer coalescence strategy is proposed, which involves electrostatic, bridging, coordinating, and hydrogen bonding interactions, to establish balanced particle cohesion, enabling the fabrication of stretchable cement slurry. The bending, knotting, coiling, winding, and interlacing of cement filaments for structural textiles is successfully realized beyond traditional formwork casting, grouting, and 3D-printing, and fabricate the first-ever Chinese knot woven with cement. Weaving construction builds a triaxially cross-penetrating structure that greatly promotes interlayer strength and toughness by ≈208.5% and 676.5% compared to the state-of-the-art layer-by-layer 3D printed structure. These findings not only make a breakthrough in concrete construction technology but also provide solutions for fabricating multi-directional woven structures with great engineering-application potentials.

Aluminium surface work hardening enables multi-scale 3D lithography

Multi-scale structures are ubiquitous in biological systems. However, manufacturing man-made structures with controllable features spanning multiple length scales, particularly down to nanoscale features, is very challenging, which seriously impacts their collective properties. Here we introduce an aluminium-based three-dimensional lithography that combines sequential nano-micro-macro-imprinting and anodization of multi-scale anodic aluminium oxide templates to manufacture well-defined multi-scale structures, using various materials. The high-fidelity nano-patterns and micro-patterns were facilitated by the surface work hardening phenomenon, where the nano-patterns can be further fine-tailored by anodization to have high-aspect-ratio and tunable nano-holes. Based on the aluminium-based three-dimensional lithography, multi-scale materials across length scales of at least 107 orders of magnitude were precisely fabricated, including carbon, semiconductors and metals. We integrated pressure sensors and biosensors with superior and customizable performances by tailoring the multi-scale carbon networks on different length scales from nanofibres and micropyramids to macrodome arrays. This work provides a versatile technique for prototyping on-demand multi-scale structures and materials to explore desirable mechanical and physical properties.

Design Strategy, On-Demand Control, and Biomedical Engineering Applications of Wet Adhesion

The adhesion of tissues to external devices is fundamental to numerous critical applications in biomedical engineering, including tissue and organ repair, bioelectronic interfaces, adhesive robotics, wearable electronics, biomedical sensing and actuation, as well as medical monitoring, treatment, and healthcare. A key challenge in this context is that tissues are typically situated in aqueous and dynamic environments, which poses a bottleneck to further advancements in these fields. Wet adhesion technology (WAT) presents an effective solution to this issue. In this review, we summarize the three major design strategies and control methods of wet adhesion, comprehensively and systematically introducing the latest applications and advancements of WAT in the field of biomedical engineering. First, single adhesion mechanism under the frameworks of the three design strategies is systematically introduced. Second, control methods for adhesion are comprehensively summarized, including spatiotemporal control, detachment control, and reversible adhesion control. Third, a systematic summary and discussion of the latest applications of WAT in biomedical engineering research and education were presented, with a particular focus on innovative applications such as tissue-electronic interface devices, ingestible devices, end-effector components, in vivo medical microrobots, and medical instruments and equipment. Finally, opportunities and challenges encountered in the design and development of wet adhesives with advanced adhesive performance and application prospects are discussed.

Micropattern Fabricated by Acropetal Migration Controlled through Sequential Photo and Thermal Polymerization

Bottom-up patterning technology plays a significant role in both nature and synthetic materials, owing to its inherent advantages such as ease of implementation, spontaneity, and noncontact attributes, etc. However, constrained by the uncontrollability of molecular movement, energy interaction, and stress, obtained micropatterns tend to exhibit an inevitable arched outline, resulting in the limitation of applicability. Herein, inspired by auxin's action mode in apical dominance, a versatile strategy is proposed for fabricating precision self-organizing micropatterns with impressive height based on polymerization-induced acropetal migration. The copolymer containing fluorocarbon chains (low surface energy) and tertiary amine (coinitiator) is designed to self-assemble on the surface of the photo-curing system. The selective exposure under a photomask establishes a photocuring boundary and the radicals would be generated on the surface, which is pivotal in generating a vertical concentration difference of monomer. Subsequent heating treatment activates the material continuously transfers from the unexposed area to the exposed area and is accompanied by the obviously vertical upward mass transfer, resulting in the manufacture of a rectilinear profile micropattern. This strategy significantly broadens the applicability of self-organizing patterns, offering the potential to mitigate the complexity and time-consuming limitations associated with top-down methods.

BioTrojans: viscoelastic microvalve-based attacks in flow-based microfluidic biochips and their countermeasures

Flow-based microfluidic biochips (FMBs) are widely used in biomedical research and diagnostics. However, their security against potential material-level cyber-physical attacks remains inadequately explored, posing a significant future challenge. One of the main components, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microvalves, is pivotal to FMBs' functionality. However, their fabrication, which involves thermal curing, makes them susceptible to chemical tampering-induced material degradation attacks. Here, we demonstrate one such material-based attack termed "BioTrojans," which are chemically tampered and optically stealthy microvalves that can be ruptured through low-frequency actuations. To chemically tamper with the microvalves, we altered the associated PDMS curing ratio. Attack demonstrations showed that BioTrojan valves with 30:1 and 50:1 curing ratios ruptured quickly under 2 Hz frequency actuations, while authentic microvalves with a 10:1 ratio remained intact even after being actuated at the same frequency for 2 days (345,600 cycles). Dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) results and associated finite element analysis revealed that a BioTrojan valve stores three orders of magnitude more mechanical energy than the authentic one, making it highly susceptible to low-frequency-induced ruptures. To counter BioTrojan attacks, we propose a security-by-design approach using smooth peripheral fillets to reduce stress concentration by over 50% and a spectral authentication method using fluorescent microvalves capable of effectively detecting BioTrojans.

Biomimetic Materials for Skin Tissue Regeneration and Electronic Skin

Biomimetic materials have become a promising alternative in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to address critical challenges in wound healing and skin regeneration. Skin-mimetic materials have enormous potential to improve wound healing outcomes and enable innovative diagnostic and sensor applications. Human skin, with its complex structure and diverse functions, serves as an excellent model for designing biomaterials. Creating effective wound coverings requires mimicking the unique extracellular matrix composition, mechanical properties, and biochemical cues. Additionally, integrating electronic functionality into these materials presents exciting possibilities for real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and personalized healthcare. This review examines biomimetic skin materials and their role in regenerative wound healing, as well as their integration with electronic skin technologies. It discusses recent advances, challenges, and future directions in this rapidly evolving field.

Arresting failure propagation in buildings through collapse isolation

Several catastrophic building collapses1-5 occur because of the propagation of local-initial failures6,7. Current design methods attempt to completely prevent collapse after initial failures by improving connectivity between building components. These measures ensure that the loads supported by the failed components are redistributed to the rest of the structural system8,9. However, increased connectivity can contribute to collapsing elements pulling down parts of a building that would otherwise be unaffected10. This risk is particularly important when large initial failures occur, as tends to be the case in the most disastrous collapses6. Here we present an original design approach to arrest collapse propagation after major initial failures. When a collapse initiates, the approach ensures that specific elements fail before the failure of the most critical components for global stability. The structural system thus separates into different parts and isolates collapse when its propagation would otherwise be inevitable. The effectiveness of the approach is proved through unique experimental tests on a purposely built full-scale building. We also demonstrate that large initial failures would lead to total collapse of the test building if increased connectivity was implemented as recommended by present guidelines. Our proposed approach enables incorporating a last line of defence for more resilient buildings.

Deformation-Induced Photoprogrammable Pattern of Polyurethane Elastomers Based on Poisson Effect

Elastomers with high aspect ratio surface patterns are a promising class of materials for designing soft machines in the future. Here, a facile method for fabricating surface patterns on polyurethane elastomer by subtly utilizing the Poisson effect and gradient photocrosslinking is demonstrated. By applying uniaxial tensile strains, the aspect ratio of the surface patterns can be optionally manipulated. At prestretched state, the pattern on the polyurethane elastomer can be readily constructed through compressive stress, resulting from the gradient photocrosslinking via selective photodimerization of an anthracene-functionalized polyurethane elastomer (referred to as ANPU). The macromolecular aggregation structures during stretching deformation significantly contribute to the fabrication of high aspect ratio surface patterns. The insightful finite element analysis well demonstrates that the magnitude and distribution of internal stress in the ANPU elastomer can be regulated by selectively gradient crosslinking, leading to polymer chains migrate from the exposed region to the unexposed region, thereby generating a diverse array of surface patterns. Additionally, the periodic surface patterns exhibit tunable structural color according to the different stretching states and are fully reversible over multiple cycles, opening up avenues for diverse applications such as smart displays, stretchable strain sensors, and anticounterfeiting devices.

A dynamic biointerface controls mussel adhesion

The mussel-adherent secreta interface reveals how nonliving material can be compatible with tissue.

Material-level countermeasures for securing microfluidic biochips

Flow-based microfluidic biochips (FMBs) have been rapidly commercialized and deployed in recent years for biological computing, clinical diagnostics, and point-of-care-tests (POCTs). However, outsourcing FMBs makes them susceptible to material-level attacks by malicious actors for illegitimate monetary gain. The attacks involve deliberate material degradation of an FMB's polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) components by either doping with reactive solvents or altering the PDMS curing ratio during fabrication. Such attacks are stealthy enough to evade detection and deteriorate the FMB's function. Furthermore, material-level attacks can become prevalent in attacks based on intellectual property (IP) theft, such as counterfeiting, overbuilding, etc., which involve unscrupulous third-party manufacturers. To address this problem, we present a dynamic material-level watermarking scheme for PDMS-based FMBs with microvalves using a perylene-labeled fluorescent dye. The dyed microvalves show a unique excimer intensity peak under 405 nm laser excitation. Moreover, when pneumatically actuated, the peak shows a predetermined downward shift in intensity as a function of mechanical strain. We validated this protection scheme experimentally using fluorescence microscopy, which showed a high correlation (R2 = 0.971) between the normalized excimer intensity change and the maximum principal strain of the actuated microvalves. To detect curing ratio-based attacks, we adapted machine learning (ML) models, which were trained on the force-displacement data obtained from a mechanical punch test method. Our ML models achieved more than 99% accuracy in detecting curing ratio anomalies. These countermeasures can be used to proactively safeguard FMBs against material-level attacks in the era of global pandemics and diagnostics based on POCTs.

Mammalian organ regeneration in spiny mice

Fibrosis-driven solid organ failure is a major world-wide health burden with few therapeutic options. Spiny mice (genus: Acomys) are terrestrial mammals that regenerate severe skin wounds without fibrotic scars to evade predators. Recent studies have shown that spiny mice also regenerate acute ischemic and traumatic injuries to kidney, heart, spinal cord, and skeletal muscle. A common feature of this evolved wound healing response is a lack of formation of fibrotic scar tissue that degrades organ function, inhibits regeneration, and leads to organ failure. Complex tissue regeneration is an extremely rare property among mammalian species. In this article, we discuss the evidence that Acomys represents an emerging model organism that offers a unique opportunity for the biomedical community to investigate and clinically translate molecular mechanisms of scarless wound healing and regeneration of organ function in a mammalian species.

Morphological and Physiological Aspects of Mutable Collagenous Tissue at the Autotomy Plane of the Starfish Asterias rubens L. (Echinodermata, Asteroidea): An Echinoderm Paradigm

The mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) of echinoderms has the capacity to undergo changes in its tensile properties within a timescale of seconds under the control of the nervous system. All echinoderm autotomy (defensive self-detachment) mechanisms depend on the extreme destabilisation of mutable collagenous structures at the plane of separation. This review illustrates the role of MCT in autotomy by bringing together previously published and new information on the basal arm autotomy plane of the starfish Asterias rubens L. It focuses on the MCT components of breakage zones in the dorsolateral and ambulacral regions of the body wall, and details data on their structural organisation and physiology. Information is also provided on the extrinsic stomach retractor apparatus whose involvement in autotomy has not been previously recognised. We show that the arm autotomy plane of A. rubens is a tractable model system for addressing outstanding problems in MCT biology. It is amenable to in vitro pharmacological investigations using isolated preparations and provides an opportunity for the application of comparative proteomic analysis and other “-omics” methods which are aimed at the molecular profiling of different mechanical states and characterising effector cell functions.

Blood-Coagulation-Inspired Dynamic Bridging Strategy for the Fabrication of Multiscale-Assembled Hierarchical Porous Material

Porous materials, from macroscopic bulk materials (MBs) with (sub-)millimeter-scale pores to tiny particles (TPs) with (sub-)nanometer-scale pores, have attracted ever-growing interest in various fields. However, the integration of multi-scale pores in one composite is promising but challenging, owing to the considerable gap in the scale of the pores. Inspired by blood coagulation, a fibrin-based dynamic bridging strategy is developed to fabricate a multiscale-assembled hierarchical porous material (MHPM), in which fibrin formed as the sub-framework for the weaving-narrow of MBs and the enwinding-load of TPs. The bio-polymerization nature makes the fabrication rapid, facile, and universal for the customizable integration of seven kinds of TPs and four kinds of MBs. Besides, the integration is controllable with high load capacity of TPs and is stable against external shock forces. The unique multi-level structure endows the MHPM with large and accessible surface area, and efficient mass transfer pathways, synergistically leading to high adsorption capacity and rapid kinetics in multiple adsorption models. This work suggests a strategy for the rational multi-level design and fabrication of hierarchical porous architectures.

Design of large-span stick-slip freely switchable hydrogels via dynamic multiscale contact synergy

Solid matter that can rapidly and reversibly switch between adhesive and non-adhesive states is desired in many technological domains including climbing robotics, actuators, wound dressings, and bioelectronics due to the ability for on-demand attachment and detachment. For most types of smart adhesive materials, however, reversible switching occurs only at narrow scales (nanoscale or microscale), which limits the realization of interchangeable surfaces with distinct adhesive states. Here, we report the design of a switchable adhesive hydrogel via dynamic multiscale contact synergy, termed as DMCS-hydrogel. The hydrogel rapidly switches between slippery (friction ~0.04 N/cm²) and sticky (adhesion ~3 N/cm²) states in the solid-solid contact process, exhibits large span, is switchable and dynamic, and features rapid adhesive switching. The design strategy of this material has wide applications ranging from programmable adhesive materials to intelligent devices.

High predation risk decimates survival during the reproduction season

Predators attack conspicuous prey phenotypes that are present in the environment. Male display behavior of conspicuous nuptial coloration becomes risky in the presence of a predator, and adult males face higher predation risk. High predation risk in one sex will lead to low survival and sex ratio bias in adult cohorts, unless the increased predation risk is compensated by higher escape rate.Here, we tested the hypothesis that sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) have sex-specific predation risk and escape rate. We expected the differences to manifest in changes in sex ratio with age, differences in frequency of tail autotomy, and in sex-specific survival rate.We developed a statistical model to estimate predation risk and escape rate, combining the observed sex ratio and frequency of tail autotomy with likelihood-based survival rate. Using Bayesian framework, we estimated the model parameters. We projected the date of the tail autotomy events from growth rates derived from capture-recapture data measurements.We found statistically stable sex ratio in age groups, equal frequency of tail regenerates between sexes, and similar survival rate. Predation risk is similar between sexes, and escape rate increases survival by about 5%. We found low survival rate and a low number of tail autotomy events in females during months when sand lizards mate and lay eggs, indicating high predator pressure throughout reproduction. Our data show that gravid females fail to escape predation.The risks of reproduction season in an ectotherm are a convolution of morphological changes (conspicuous coloration in males and body allometry changes in gravid females), behavior (nuptial displays), and environmental conditions which challenge lizard thermal performance. Performance of endotherm predators in cold spring months endangers gravid females more than displaying males in bright nuptial coloration.

Concluding remarks: discussion on natural and artificial enzymes including synthetic models

This paper overviews the final remarks lecture delivered (by K. D. K.) at the end of this bioinorganic chemistry Faraday Discussion, held online for a worldwide audience from January 31 - February 3, 2022. This paper provides discussion in six sections: (1) the Introductory lecture, from Ed Solomon, emphasized past and present uses of advanced spectroscopic methods and theoretical approaches to elucidate metalloenzyme active site structure, physical properties and function. (2) The discussion topics are divided into groups having similar research themes, as seen from this author's perspective. Emphasis is given to the non-heme iron group of articles with dioxygen activation research. (3) Small molecule activation (e.g., N2, CO2 and O2 reduction; CH4 or H2O oxidation) is widely covered in this discussion; this authors' view of the important reactions in bioinorganic chemistry is discussed. (4) We discuss current practice and vision for employing materials chemistry to widely apply to electrocatalytic methods to effect small molecule activation (as above) to fulfill societal energy demands. (5) A discussion is given on the topic of synthetic models and the approach utilized therein. (6) New research on the authors' synthetic modeling is presented; preliminary results are given in the area of copper mediated peroxide activation.