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A publication for Frontiers in Bioengineering Journal's special issue call on Biological Fabrication Beyond Tissue Engineering, with full paper to be consulted here.
Abstract:
Cell-free protein expression systems are here combined with 3D-printed structures to study the challenges and opportunities as biofabrication enters the spaces of architecture and design. Harnessing large-scale additive manufacturing of biological materials, we examined the addition of cell-free protein expression systems (“TXTL” i.e., biological transcription-translation machinery without the use of living cells) to printed structures. This allowed us to consider programmable, living-like, responsive systems for product design and indoor architectural applications. This emergent, pluripotent technology offers exciting potential in support of health, resource optimization, and reduction of energy use in the built environment, setting a new path to interactivity with mechanical, optical, and (bio) chemical properties throughout structures. We propose a roadmap towards creating healthier, functional and more durable systems by deploying a multiscale platform containing biologically-active components encapsulated within biopolymer lattices operating at three design scales: (i) supporting cell-free protein expression in a biopolymer matrix (microscale), (ii) varying material properties of porosity and strength within two-dimensional lattices to support biological and structural functions (mesoscale), and (iii) obtaining folded indoor surfaces that are structurally sound at the meter scale and biologically active (we label that regime macroscale). We embedded commercially available cell-free protein expression systems within silk fibroin and sodium alginate biopolymer matrices and used green fluorescent protein as the reporter to confirm their compatibility. We demonstrate mechanical attachment of freeze-dried bioactive pellets into printed foldable fibrous biopolymer lattices showing the first steps towards modular multiscale fabrication of large structures with biologically active zones. Our results discuss challenges to experimental setup affecting expression levels and show the potential of robust cell-free protein-expressing biosites within custom-printed structures at scales relevant to everyday consumer products and human habitats.
Team:
Ho G., Kubušová V., Irabien C., Li V., Weinstein A., Chawla Sh., Yeung D., Mershin A., Zolotovsky K., Mogas-Soldevila L.
Funding:
This work is primarily supported by DumoLab Research directed by LM-S at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design University of Pennsylvania with grants by the Penn Research Foundation, and the Penn Sachs Program for Art Innovation. Some funding from NSF-GRFP to GH, Fulbright Slovakia, Massachusetts Institute of Technology International Science & Technology Initiatives (MISTI), Slovakia Global Seed Funds grant, and crafting plastics! studio.
Acknowledgments:
The authors are grateful to Canon Virginia for their contribution to this research with in-kind materials, to the Osmocosm Public Benefit Foundation, the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, Eyal Perry, How To Grow (Almost) Anything Class at MIT Media Lab, Sevile Mannickarottu at the George H. Stephenson Foundation Bioengineering Educational Laboratory and Bio-MakerSpace for providing lab space, Jose Vargas Asencio at the MIT Chung Lab, Štefan Nosko and Erik Kral at crafting plastics! studio for their support with visualizations and to Kate Adamala and Wakana Sato at University of Minnesota for their help with cell-free expression system protocols.