This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
INTELLECTUAL MERIT: The ability to generate biocompatible materials with spatially organized chemical, biological and mechanical properties is of benefit for a wide range of applications. A powerful method for fabricating such materials is proposed through self-assembly of prefabricated shape-controlled microgels. In this proposal, a scalable approach to direct the mesoscale self-assembly of hydrophilic materials will be developed by using thermodynamic principles of multiphase systems and microengineering technologies. To achieve this goal, a two step bottom-up approach will be used in which microgels are initially assembled and subsequently stabilized by a crosslinking reaction. Surface tension forces at the water and oil interface along with lock-and-key shaped microgels will be used to drive the self-assembly process. In addition, approaches to generate hierarchical self-assembled biomaterials will be developed by controlling aggregation parameters such as agitation forces or geometry. Finally, the various parameters for the proposed self-assembling processes will be optimized and the biological properties of cell-laden hydrogels will be studied as a function of gel size, materials properties and macroporosity. The assembly process is applicable to a wide range of other hydrophilic materials and will address a fundamental problem in materials science regarding the lack of processes to self-assemble mesoscale materials. The proposed approach is scalable and can be used to make materials with predetermined spatial organization.
BROADER IMPACTS: The proposed research will have broader impacts at the level of local, national and international education as well as public awareness about the interface of biology and materials sciences. At the local level this proposal aims to provide the students with expertise in learning about interdisciplinary science, performing research and learning the scientific method. The PI supervises undergraduate researchers at MIT through the UROP program (undergraduate research opportunity program) and is an advisor to graduate students of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. The PI will work with the UROP program on recruiting undergraduate students to work with the other members of the team on the project. Furthermore, the PI will recruit students from MIT?s MSRP research program, which every summer brings underrepresented minorities and women to MIT from other universities for research. The PI will also develop graduate courses and arrange field trips with local high schools in educating students about biomaterials research. At the national level, the PI will develop programs for educating the public and students at other institutions about biomaterials. In addition, the PI will pursue international educational efforts and develop materials that will be available to the public and around the world through a number of web initiated efforts.
