Project description
Soft materials based on synthetic prototissues
Protocells, artificial cell-like entities, are a vital tool in synthetic biology. These non-living systems demonstrate characteristics akin to biological cells. Protocell networks in prototissues can communicate and display synergistic functions, yet lack robustness and the required complexity to perform higher-order functions. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SAPTiMeC project will exploit spiropyran photoswitches to fabricate prototissues that can swell and de-swell powered by light. This mechanical movement will then be exploited to modulate the prototissue’s endogenous photocatalytic reactivity, producing waves of an output chemical signal. Project outcomes could usher in a new era in bottom-up synthetic biology and non-equilibrium systems, delivering new materials with potential use in tissue engineering and soft robotics.
Objective
Recently, researchers in the field of bottom-up synthetic biology have developed different models of non-living cell-like entities, termed protocells. Protocells are designed to mimic basic aspects of living cells and have potential applications in various emerging technologies. Prototissues comprise networks of protocell consortia that communicate and display synergistic functions. Though the current designs contribute much to the development of bottom-up synthetic biology, they lack robustness and the complexity required to perform higher-order functions. The aim of this proposal is to advance the prototissue design to create prototissues capable of higher-order functions (i.e. photo-mechano-chemical transduction). The prototissues will be created by stratifying and patterning populations of specialised protocells. As a result, the prototissue will be able to self-regulate the amount of luminous energy received from the environment by opening and closing cyclically. This movement enables the prototissue to tune its endogenous photocatalytic reactivity, producing waves of an output chemical signal. The expertise of the applicant in photochemistry, materials and nanomaterials chemistry will be applied to the emerging field of prototissue engineering, area in which the hosting supervisor is an emerging leader. The approach will be focussed on the generation of macroscopic free-standing prototissue sheets with complex architectures. This process will be used to create phototropic prototissues upon exploiting photoresponsive hydrogels encapsulated in their building blocks. The resulting phototropic prototissues will be modified in order to contain building blocks with photocatalytic synthetic proto-organelles. Collectively, the outcome of this proposal will: kickstart a new area of bottom-up synthetic biology; provide a new approach to the construction of out-of-equilibrium systems; and deliver new materials with applications in tissue engineering and soft robotics.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences synthetic biology
- natural sciences chemical sciences physical chemistry photochemistry
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology tissue engineering
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics soft robotics
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
34127 Trieste
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.