Most synthetic materials that are used to interact with living tissues, cells, and biomolecules consist of only a few components and are relatively static. Biological materials, on the other hand, are adaptive, compositionally complex, and information-rich. Due to this mismatch, synthetic materials often lack the functional richness to interact and communicate with living systems. Innovative material concepts are needed in the health technology sector to overcome this challenge. In this talk, Dr. Elisha Krieg from the IPF Dresden describes a new “programmable” material platform that addresses two distinct application domains: in vitro cell culture and biomolecule isolation.
The first system is DyNAtrix, a fully synthetic matrix for 3D cell culture. Combining a traditional polymer scaffold with DNA nanotechnology enables control over the mechanical microenvironment surrounding living cells. Users can precisely tune not only the presentation of adhesion ligands and the material’s stiffness, but also key time-dependent properties such as stress relaxation. Unlike in conventional materials, this key cell-instructive property can be changed dynamically at any time by the addition of external signal molecules. This capability enables researchers and clinicians to study the role of mechanical forces in development and disease.
The second system is LASSO, a new approach for isolating biomolecules. LASSO leverages a recently discovered mechanism that causes the polymer poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) to form highly permeable molecular networks. These networks bind targets ultra-selectively and phase-separate them from solution without forming any solid interfaces. By providing high purity and efficiency at a fraction of the typical costs, LASSO aims to democratize biomolecule isolation for global life science and healthcare applications.
Speaker:
Dr. Elisha Krieg, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF)
More information:
https://dynamicmatrices.eu
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamicmatrices