Multi-functional, survivable ELMs grown from programmable fungal-bacteria consortia
Abstract
Engineered living materials (ELM) consist of a structural scaffold functionalized by cells that act as sensors, produce chemicals, degrade toxins, or self-heal. To date, different materials have been built, including textiles, infrastructure (wood, concrete), and 3D-printed objects. A challenge is that the cells must live under extreme conditions for long times, particularly when used in the field or for space-aerospace applications. To this end, filamentous fungi exhibit incredible resilience, create strong and thick scaffolds, and are potentially genetically programmable. However, ELM-relevant species are poorly characterized, especially the molecular mechanisms of the stress responses that give them their resilience and few genetic tools are available.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 07, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310589
Entities
People
- Christopher Voigt
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- United States Air Force