High-throughput Bioreactor Systems to Accelerate Synthetic Biology Material Production Workflows
Abstract
As part of the Army Center for Synthetic Biology, the Army Research Office (ARO) recently funded a collaborative Team proposal (W911NF-22-2-0246) to establish the Center for Predictive Materials Design (PreMADE). PreMADE has two major scientific objectives. First, PreMADE seeks to develop and implement an accelerated design-build-test-learn pipeline that creates new computational and high-throughput tools for elucidating sequence-structure-functionproperty relationships of biomaterials. Second, PreMADE seeks to apply this pipeline in crosscutting testbeds to create multifunctional materials with different properties (e.g., electronic, optical, sensing) of relevance to the Department pf Defense (DoD). Since receiving funding, researchers in PreMADE have made several exciting advances in designing materials with targeted form and function. However, progress has become limited by the throughput of designing, building, and testing libraries of peptide and protein biomaterials across scales. Here, to address this limitation, we propose to purchase an integrated system of equipment for scaling production of multifunctional materials. This instrumentation will create high-throughput, shared infrastructure to support biomanufacturing efforts. The proposed instrumentation will establish new collaborative research capabilities, advance DoD-relevant priority areas, and enhance educational opportunities. First, the instrumentation will establish new collaborative research capabilities for making engineered biological materials relevant to DoD. PreMADE is one of two Team proposals funded under the Army Center for Synthetic Biology, which is a basic research program recently initiated by the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), Army Research Laboratory (ARL), and ARO. A key objective of the Army Center for Synthetic Biology is to create an ecosystem that combines researchers from academia with Army lab collaborators (e.g., DEVCOM ARL, DEVCOM CBC, DEVCOM SC) to drive basic research concepts through to Army applications. By leveraging mechanisms for embedding personnel from Teams, Seedlings, and the Army S&T Enterprise for instrument use, current research capabilities will be enhanced. Second, synthetic biology is a high priority area for DoD with the potential to transform military systems and mission space. The instrumentation to advance synthetic biology workflows therefore promises to unlock opportunities of high importance to DoD. Third, the instrumentation will enhance efforts to educate future scientists and engineers. Specifically, the proposed instrumentation will catalyze access to interactive synthetic biology educational opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs. In addition, it will create opportunities to train academic and Army researchers side-by-side on techniques and best practices. Taken together, the proposed instrumentation system will directly enable new approaches to predictably design and domestically manufacture next-generation materials, including bioelectronics, camouflage coatings, wearables, diagnostic sensors, and autonomous systems. This will facilitate a broad range of disruptive technologies for the DoD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 09, 2023
- Source ID
- W911NF2310334
Entities
People
- Michael C Jewett
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Stanford University
- United States Army