Final Report Summary - COMPBIOMAT (Computing Biomaterials)
The design principle will be hierarchical: at the basis, synthetic biology tools will act as sensor, processor and actuator. These tools will be integrated into biomaterials to build logic gates that perceive different input signals, process these signals by Boolean algebra and produce a corresponding readout. By the functional interconnected of several such gates, we will construct integrated biomaterial circuits that perform complex computational operations.
We use such interactive and smart materials for (i) the development of remote-controlled drug depots that release their cargo in response to external stimuli (see e.g. www.bionicure.com) (ii) as sensitive analytical device to detect traces of toxins and (iii) as tool in (microfluidic) reactions to sequentially supply different reagents in a remote-controlled manner.