Living Interfaces: Exploring Synthetic Biology and Evolution for the Development of Next-Generation Biomaterials

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal seeks support for the participation of leading experts from academia and funding agencies to explore the role of biomaterials for synthetic biology and for synthetic biology and evolution for the development of next-generation biomaterials. The theme of the workshop is "Living Interfaces" - understanding and controlling interfacial emergent bio-like order and function in far-from-equilibrium synthetic biomaterials systems. The aim is to use the results that emerge from the talks and discussion during the Square-Table workshop to write a report that captures the excitement and promise of this rapidly growing field of research for the various communities and agencies to use as a road-map. The proposal is to hold the workshop in Alexandria, VA in the early part of the week of 3 December 2018. This Square-Table will engage representatives from the biomaterials, synthetic biology, and molecular evolution communities, along with funding agencies, regulators and industry. The intent is to accelerate the discovery and deployment of disruptive technologies in materials development, with important contributions expected from each of these perspectives. The focus on "Living Interfaces" frames an exciting first challenge, the successful prosecution of which will open many other avenues of collaboration and research. The agenda is designed to identify gaps and challenges to a new paradigm for biomaterials discovery, taking advantage of synthetic biology and evolutionary approaches in ways inspired, but not on strained, by nature. The advances in biomaterials recently can bring new understanding of fundamental processes and functions covering a wide range of applications. The convergence of NSF interests in Rules of Life as part of the ten Big Ideas and so it is time to devote significant attention to understanding how organisms discover and make new materials, to expand the range of what constitutes a functional biomaterial, to use engineered or artificial "living" systems to create novel and sustainable materials for significant functions, and to extract fundamental lessons that relate structure to function. The aim is to define the outlines of an exciting new field of evolvable materials This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.