CatchGel · Catch Bond Cross-linked Hydrogels
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2020-10-01 → 2024-11-14
- EU contribution
- €304,724
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Catch Bond Cross-linked Hydrogels
Catch bonds, in contrast to traditional slip bonds, are protein complexes that exhibit an increase in the rupture force of the complex under applied mechanical load. Although highly dependent on the type of catch bond, the increase in rupture forces can be up to 10-fold. However, this has only been observed on the molecular scale. What if we could exploit this behaviour in a macroscale material? This would be a major advantage for materials science, particularly for materials exposed to dynamic mechanical stress, such as in trauma care or regenerative medicine. In particular in regenerative medicine there is a need for materials that adapt their viscoelastic properties dynamically to mechanical/biochemical cues from the cellular environment. Materials cross-linked by catch bonds complexes, that were weaker at equilibrium but became stiffer as applied forces increased, could be advantageous for the creation of dynamic substrates on which to culture tissues and organs, or organoids, or to address rapidly evolving medical situations, for example in trauma care. But effectively translating these nanoscale behaviours to the macroscale requires careful study of the limits of stability of these complexes, the role of the environment, and the types of stress both at the molecular scale and as we expand towards the macroscale. The goal of this project was to use detailed biophysical and mechanical characterisation methods across multiple length scales to develop an approach to transplant catch bonding protein complexes into macroscale materials, while preserving their unique mechanosensitive properties.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Catch bonds are one of Nature’s truly remarkable designs, which exhibit increased adhesive force as tensile force is applied, in contrast to traditional slip bonds whose adhesive force decreases under similar conditions. On reaching a maximum applied force, the catch bond then reverts to traditional slip bond behaviour resulting in a catch-and-roll type action that bacteria and cells use to move in a targeted fashion along a particular surface. The current research project aims to transplant this behaviour from bacterial systems into bio-based synthetic polymer networks, allowing the development of truly biomimetic mechanically adaptable materials. The aims of the project will be achieved by exploring a number of recently identified bacterial catch bonds, isolating the specific amino acid sequence responsible for this behaviour and using them to functionalise bio-based polymer chains. Using the receptor-ligand complexes specific to each bacterial adhesive, dynamic polymer networks will be constructed that display an adaptable response to force as observed in bacterial catch bonds. This represents an important area of research, for whilst the observation of ‘catch’ bond behaviour is relatively recent, their ability to revolutionise biomimetic materials is enormous. Their behaviour under stress is reminiscent of that of smooth muscle during peristaltic motion and materials mimicking this behaviour have the potential to drive new developments in synthetic organ and disease model research. Thoughout this project, fundamental insights will be gained into the intrinsic workings of bacterial catch bonds, specifically environmental factors affecting their behaviour, as well as how their behaviour is modified or scaled by inclusion in a macroscale material. The interdisciplinary project aims to push the boundaries of biology and materials science, from the molecular to the macroscale.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITAT BASEL · BaselCoordinatorSwitzerland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union