Design and Manufacture of furan-based self-healing materials
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Biological Sciences
Abstract
Research into self-healing materials is an area that offers huge benefit to industries such as construction, transport, defence and electronics. The ability for a material to restore its shape and strength to near original capacity after damage is extremely valuable for many applications. One method of self-healing is based on the Diels-Alder reaction, which is a [4 + 2] cycloaddition between a diene and dienophile. Diels-Alder reactions are reversible, which provides the added advantage of being able to break and re-form covalent bonds to repair and reuse the material. Diels-Alder reactions taking place between furan and maleimide groups are thermally reversible and have shown potential for self-healing. These materials are usually generated as cross-linked polymers containing the reacting functional groups, however current chemical synthesis is expensive, inefficient and has poor scalability. Polymer biosynthesis using synthetic biology provides an attractive alternative.
Previous work has demonstrated the ability to clone, express and purify component enzymes in a methanofuran biosynthesis pathway from a thermophilic methanogenic archaeon (methanocaldococcus jannaschii) in E. coli. Each enzyme is currently being (or has been) individually structurally and kinetically investigated. Sequential action of each purified enzyme has shown that biosynthesis of a furan containing polymer is possible as an in vitro method, for which some of the enzymes are optimally active at 70C. For this process to be industrially viable this temperature should be lowered. Initial work on methanofuran biosynthesis genes cloned from a mesophilic archaeon (methanococcus maripaludis) indicates that a lower optimum temperature may be achievable. Genes from this species, or another mesophile would likely be used throughout the project.
This project aims to further current work through the following aims:
a. Cloning and expression of all methanofuran biosynthesis pathway enzymes into the same bacterium using multi-gene operons.
b. Development of this bacterium to produce a furan-based polymer in vivo during bacterial fermentation. This would bypass the need for current enzyme purification steps and so streamline the production process. This may then lead to further development for industrial scale up. Using genes from a mesophilic species would allow for product production to occur at a temperature feasible for E. coli survival.
c. If time allows, this work will be linked with work on structure guided mutation of biosynthesis pathway enzymes. This would result in the ability for the acceptance of slightly altered substrates, which would be designed to add new functionality to the polymers. For example; fluorescent groups activated upon damage, or alterations in speed of repair.
Initial success in this project would demonstrate the use of synthetic biology to build commercially useful materials in vivo, providing a solid basis to progress the development of biologically produced self-healing materials with a range of functionality. This project falls within the EPSRC synthetic biology, manufacturing technologies, polymer materials, and chemical biology and biological chemistry research areas. This project may develop in a way that would benefit from an industrial placement at a later date, which would be organised if the need arises. Preliminary discussions re. potential placement hosts have taken place.
Previous work has demonstrated the ability to clone, express and purify component enzymes in a methanofuran biosynthesis pathway from a thermophilic methanogenic archaeon (methanocaldococcus jannaschii) in E. coli. Each enzyme is currently being (or has been) individually structurally and kinetically investigated. Sequential action of each purified enzyme has shown that biosynthesis of a furan containing polymer is possible as an in vitro method, for which some of the enzymes are optimally active at 70C. For this process to be industrially viable this temperature should be lowered. Initial work on methanofuran biosynthesis genes cloned from a mesophilic archaeon (methanococcus maripaludis) indicates that a lower optimum temperature may be achievable. Genes from this species, or another mesophile would likely be used throughout the project.
This project aims to further current work through the following aims:
a. Cloning and expression of all methanofuran biosynthesis pathway enzymes into the same bacterium using multi-gene operons.
b. Development of this bacterium to produce a furan-based polymer in vivo during bacterial fermentation. This would bypass the need for current enzyme purification steps and so streamline the production process. This may then lead to further development for industrial scale up. Using genes from a mesophilic species would allow for product production to occur at a temperature feasible for E. coli survival.
c. If time allows, this work will be linked with work on structure guided mutation of biosynthesis pathway enzymes. This would result in the ability for the acceptance of slightly altered substrates, which would be designed to add new functionality to the polymers. For example; fluorescent groups activated upon damage, or alterations in speed of repair.
Initial success in this project would demonstrate the use of synthetic biology to build commercially useful materials in vivo, providing a solid basis to progress the development of biologically produced self-healing materials with a range of functionality. This project falls within the EPSRC synthetic biology, manufacturing technologies, polymer materials, and chemical biology and biological chemistry research areas. This project may develop in a way that would benefit from an industrial placement at a later date, which would be organised if the need arises. Preliminary discussions re. potential placement hosts have taken place.
Planned Impact
The emerging and dynamic field of Synthetic Biology has the potential to provide solutions to some of the key challenges faced by society, ranging across the healthcare, energy, food and environmental sectors. The UK government has recently a "Synthetic Biology Roadmap", which presents a vision and direction for Synthetic Biology in the UK. The report projects that the global Synthetic Biology market will grow from $1.6bn in 2011 to $10.8bn by 2016. It highlights that there is an urgent need for the UK to develop the interdisciplinary skills required to take advantage of the opportunities provided by Synthetic Biology.
The challenge to the academic and industrial research communities is to develop new translational approaches to ensure that these potential benefits are realised. These new approaches will range across the design and engineering of biologically based parts, devices and systems as well as the re-design of existing, natural biological systems across all scales from molecules to organisms. The techniques will encompass not only individual cells, but also self-assembled biomimetic systems, engineered microbial communities and multicellular organisms, combining multiple perspectives drawn from the engineering, life and physical sciences.
Realising these goals will require a new generation of skilled interdisciplinary scientists, and the training of these scientists is the primary goal of the SBCDT. Our programme will give the breadth of coverage to produce a "skilled, energized and well-funded UK-wide synthetic biology community", who will have "the opportunity to revolutionise major industries in bio-energy and bio-technology in the UK" (David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science) in their future careers. This will be made possible through genuine inter-institutional collaboration in partnership with key industrial, academic and public facing institutions.
The potential impact of the SBCDT, and its potential national importance, are very therefore high, and the potential benefits to society are significant.
The challenge to the academic and industrial research communities is to develop new translational approaches to ensure that these potential benefits are realised. These new approaches will range across the design and engineering of biologically based parts, devices and systems as well as the re-design of existing, natural biological systems across all scales from molecules to organisms. The techniques will encompass not only individual cells, but also self-assembled biomimetic systems, engineered microbial communities and multicellular organisms, combining multiple perspectives drawn from the engineering, life and physical sciences.
Realising these goals will require a new generation of skilled interdisciplinary scientists, and the training of these scientists is the primary goal of the SBCDT. Our programme will give the breadth of coverage to produce a "skilled, energized and well-funded UK-wide synthetic biology community", who will have "the opportunity to revolutionise major industries in bio-energy and bio-technology in the UK" (David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science) in their future careers. This will be made possible through genuine inter-institutional collaboration in partnership with key industrial, academic and public facing institutions.
The potential impact of the SBCDT, and its potential national importance, are very therefore high, and the potential benefits to society are significant.
