Focused Session CA-9
Bio-inspired and Bio-enabled Processing
ABSTRACTS
CA-9:IL03 Bioinspired Ceramics in Architecture
M. BECHTHOLD, J. Grinham, J.-P. Ugarte, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA, USA
Architects have a long standing fascination with applying lessons from nature to the design of buildings and their components. Recent advances in material processing technologies, combined with the use of computational tools, have allowed this fascination for bioinspired design to be extended to architectural ceramics. The paper reports on two recent examples of bioinspired designs, one at the component scale, the other at the material scale. The first project involves the design and development of a bio-inspired, extruded ceramic element that evokes self-similar systems such as fractals in nature. Embodiments of this ceramic extrusion were customized through angular cutting on numerically controlled machines, demonstrating the design opportunities that exist when referencing the subtle variations of forms found in nature. The second project is inspired by slippery surfaces found in plants, and applies similar principles to ceramics such that a novel evaporative cooling element could be designed and fabricated. The system is geared towards producing cool and dry air that can keep building occupants comfortable in hot climates, with minimum energy consumption. Both projects demonstrate case studies of bioinspired ceramics in architecture.
CA-9:IL04 Low Temperature Processing of Biomimetic Apatite-based Bioceramics
C. Rey, C. Drouet, S. Cazalbou, D. Grossin, S. Sarda, J. Soulié, G. Bertrand, C. Combes, CIRIMAT, Université de Toulouse, UPS, CNRS, INP ENSIACET, Toulouse, France
Bone is a natural nanocomposite with an exceptional reactivity mainly related to its mineral component composed of nanocrystalline apatite. Biological and synthetic analogs of apatite nanocrystals have very peculiar physico-chemical features related to the existence of an hydrated layer on their surface including non-apatitic ion environments controlling most of the surface and interfacial properties. Biomimetic nanocrystalline apatites occupy an increasingly appealing position in bone tissue engineering applications due to their analogy to bone mineral and versatility (tunable composition/nonstoichiometry, (micro)structure, reactivity) offering material scientists extensive possibilities for the design of bioceramics with improved bioactivity using unconventional processing. Several examples of biomimetic apatite bioceramic processing at low temperature to preserve their surface hydrated layer controlling their reactivity and biological properties will be presented. Although biomimetic apatite ceramics have not yet reached the industrial developments of other traditional calcium phosphate ceramics, the improvement of their characterization and the understanding and control of their reactivity in aqueous media should favor the development of their biomedical applications.
CA-9:IL06 Multishell Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles for Gene and Drug Delivery, Immunostimulation and Imaging
M. EPPLE, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
Calcium phosphate is the inorganic part of human hard tissue, i.e. bone and teeth. Therefore, it is highly biocompatible, well biodegradable, and non-toxic. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles can be prepared in multi-shell form so that they are highly stable in aqueous dispersion. They can be loaded with all kinds of biomolecules like nucleic acids, peptides, or proteins, as well as with synthetic drugs. An outer silica shell permits the covalent attachment of targeting groups like antibodies or peptides. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles can also be loaded with fluorescent dyes so that they can be traced in the confocal laser scanning microscope. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles are readily taken up by cells via endocytosis. Thus, they can act as carriers for (bio-)molecules into cells. The biomolecules can then exert their specific function, e.g. the regulation of protein synthesis via transfection, gene silencing or the triggering of immunostimulatory processes which can be used for vaccination. Synthesis, characterization, and biomedical applications will be presented. In vivo imaging can be performed via PET-CT after conjugating the particles with DOTA, a chelator for the radioisotope 68Ga.
CA-9:IL08 Biomimetic Spider Silk Fibres: From Vision to Reality
T. SCHEIBEL, Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
Proteins reflect one fascinating class of natural polymers with huge potential for technical as well as biomedical applications. One well-known example is spider silk, a protein fiber with excellent mechanical properties such as strength and toughness. We have developed biotechnological methods using bacteria as production hosts which produce structural proteins mimicking the natural ones. Besides the recombinant protein fabrication, we analyzed the natural assembly processes and we have developed spinning techniques to produce protein threads closely resembling natural silk fibers. To better understand the natural process, we recombinantly co-produced two different spider silk proteins in E. coli, yielding a mixture of homo- and heterodimers. Intermolecular interactions of these proteins in aqueous spinning dopes enabled their self-assembly into higher-order structures. Upon biomimetic spinning, nature-like performing fibers could be obtained concerning all important mechanical features such as tensile strength, elasticity, Young’s modulus as well as toughness. Our findings emphasize the importance of protein interplay for functional complexity, ultimately providing a road map to design green high-performance fibers.
CA-9:L09 Biohybrids From Microalgae: A New Generation Material
D. VONA1, R. Ragni1, S.R. Cicco2, C.V. Garcia1, G.M. Farinola1, 1Dipartimento di chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy; 2Istituto per la chimica dei composti organometallici (CNR-ICCOM)-Bari, Italy
Diatoms are marine organisms able to uptake inorganic silicates from the ocean and build highly porous biosilica shells, called frustules, at mild environmental conditions. Diatoms shells have been exploited for producing biohybrid materials for applications in photonics, optoelectronics and biomaterial science, especially exploiting surface chemical decoration via the common silanization reactions [1] or via in vivo incorporation of functional organic molecules. Here we present green production of phosphorescent nanoparticles and fluorescent biosilica with specific optical features, [2] obtained after diatoms feeding with new synthesis fluorescent dyes. We also produced 2D diatoms-based scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, functionalized with bisphosphonates [3] and bioremediation.
[1] R. Ragni, S. R. Cicco, D. Vona, G. M. Farinola, Adv. Mater. 30(19), No. 1704289 (2018); [2] R. Ragni, F. Scotognella, D. Vona, L. Moretti, E. Altamura, G. Ceccone, D. Mehn, S.R. Cicco, F. Palumbo, G. Lanzani, G.M. Farinola, Adv. Funct. Mater., 1706214, 1–9 (2018); [3] S.R. Cicco, D. Vona, E. De Giglio, S. Cometa, M. Mattioli Belmonte, F. Palumbo, R. Ragni, G.M. Farinola, Chem Plus Chem 80(7), 1104 −1112 (2015).