Photosynthetic manufacturing strategies for new biomaterials
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Biochemical Engineering
Abstract
Our built environment has two urgent challenges: to address pollution of air and water within urban ecosystems, and to invent novel strategies to reduce the resource footprint of construction. This project aims create a blueprint for bio-integrated design by incorporating grown materials into the fabric of our built environment. This PhD aims to scale the manufacturing process for the creation of a 3rd generation of photosynthetically biofabricated materials to be produced.
Callus is a mass of unorganised cells that often forms as a result of wounding through the process of dedifferentiation. Similar to stem cells, callus has the ability when cultivated invitro, to produce all the differentiated cells and organs of a plant and even that of the whole plant. The plasticity and the expression of totipotency makes callus an ideal biological material and model to develop novel custom designed products and systems for the built environment. Through manipulation of plant growth hormones geometry emerges within plant tissue through differential growth rates.
It has been previously demonstrated that single plant cells are capable of interacting with 3D printed scaffolds, and the types of growth and morphologies arising from these interactions were found to reflect a greater complexity than that found in whole plants. Although there have been significant advances in technology to biofabricate scaffolds for tissue culture, the delivery of nutrients still remains a challenge. This project will investigate novel methods for the creation of vascular systems in order to facilitate scale up.
We foresee that the development of advanced fabrication and manufacturing tools, specifically adapted for biological systems, will underpin this PhD. Working collaboratively between biochemical engineering and the Bartlett, this project aims to close the gap between biological experimentation, ecology and architectural design.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- Identification of a model system for biofabrication and callus production and investigation into geometric control through hormone delivery.
- Development of a scale up strategy for biomaterial production through the construction of built prototypes, using geometry as a variable in order to achieve the desired environmental conditions for moisture, light exposure and climatic conditions, to enable more passive, low energy systems for growth.
- Creation of novel fabrication methods to work with living systems at scale in order to produce new materials.
OUTPUTS AND IMPACTS
- Outputs will include prototypes, built work, pilot studies, exhibitions and scientific publications.
Callus is a mass of unorganised cells that often forms as a result of wounding through the process of dedifferentiation. Similar to stem cells, callus has the ability when cultivated invitro, to produce all the differentiated cells and organs of a plant and even that of the whole plant. The plasticity and the expression of totipotency makes callus an ideal biological material and model to develop novel custom designed products and systems for the built environment. Through manipulation of plant growth hormones geometry emerges within plant tissue through differential growth rates.
It has been previously demonstrated that single plant cells are capable of interacting with 3D printed scaffolds, and the types of growth and morphologies arising from these interactions were found to reflect a greater complexity than that found in whole plants. Although there have been significant advances in technology to biofabricate scaffolds for tissue culture, the delivery of nutrients still remains a challenge. This project will investigate novel methods for the creation of vascular systems in order to facilitate scale up.
We foresee that the development of advanced fabrication and manufacturing tools, specifically adapted for biological systems, will underpin this PhD. Working collaboratively between biochemical engineering and the Bartlett, this project aims to close the gap between biological experimentation, ecology and architectural design.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- Identification of a model system for biofabrication and callus production and investigation into geometric control through hormone delivery.
- Development of a scale up strategy for biomaterial production through the construction of built prototypes, using geometry as a variable in order to achieve the desired environmental conditions for moisture, light exposure and climatic conditions, to enable more passive, low energy systems for growth.
- Creation of novel fabrication methods to work with living systems at scale in order to produce new materials.
OUTPUTS AND IMPACTS
- Outputs will include prototypes, built work, pilot studies, exhibitions and scientific publications.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Brenda Parker (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Ian Thomas Robinson (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509577/1 | 01/10/2016 | 24/03/2022 | |||
| 2417180 | Studentship | EP/N509577/1 | 01/10/2020 | 27/09/2024 | Ian Thomas Robinson |
| EP/T517793/1 | 01/10/2020 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2417180 | Studentship | EP/T517793/1 | 01/10/2020 | 27/09/2024 | Ian Thomas Robinson |