Existing in nature ever since mammals first had teeth and bones, and crabs first carried their shells around on their backs, living hybrid materials have a long history on planet Earth. New innovations in science and technology seek to purposefully mix living materials and nonliving materials, and create objects and substances that are both. In a recent study at MIT, scientists found E. coli to be useful in the production of a biofilm circuit board; moreover, hybrid materials will someday help humans in the areas of architecture, health, and electronics.
Hybrid materials can be found in almost every part of nature, ranging from the bones that hold the bodies of countless species of animals together to the shells that defend crabs and other crustaceans. The fusing together of inorganic materials, such as the minerals found in bones, and organic materials, such as the somatic cells that help in the assembly of the bones in the human body at an early age, is a phenomenon of nature that is only now starting to be replicated by scientists. Even though these scientists are doing a great job of making many materials that will benefit humankind, the sophistication of the hybrid materials that are found in nature is something that these scientists have, yet to crack the code to (Sanchez).
The study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which took place around March 23, 2014, sought to combine the qualities of Escherichia Coli cells and nonliving materials. The study was led by Timothy Lu. The paper’s main author is Allen Chen, an MIT-Harvard MD-PhD student. The actual study was published in the March 23rd publication of Nature Materials (Trafton).
Nonliving materials that were used in the study are gold nanoparticles, which hav...
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...ty, chemotaxis and type I pili. Wiley Online Library. N.p. 1 Mar 2002. Web. 25 April 2014. .
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ABSTRACT: Water samples from local ponds and lakes and snow runoff were collected and tested for coliform as well as Escherichia coli. Humans as well as animals come into contact with these areas, some are used for recreational activities such as swimming and some are a source of drinking water for both animals and humans The main goal of this experiment was to see which lakes, snow run off and ponds tested positive for coliform or Escherichia coli and to come up with some reasoning as to why. It was found that the more remote pond with less contact contained the most Escherichia coli. However, another lake that many swim in and use as their drinking water indeed tested positive for a small amount of Escherichia coli. The two samples from the snow showed negative results for both coliform and Escherichia coli and the two more public ponds that aren’t as commonly used as a source of human drinking water but animal drinking water tested in the higher range for coliforms but in the little to no Escherichia coli range. It was concluded that the remote pond should be avoided as it’s not a safe source of drinking water for humans or animals. Other than that, the the other ponds are likely to be safe from Escherichia coli, but coliforms are a risk factor.
Thompson, A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J., Strickland III, A. J., & Jain, A. K. (2008). Crafting &
It has an outer membrane that contains lipopolysaccharides, a periplasmic space with a peptidoglycan layer, and an inner cytoplasmic membrane. It also consists of adhesive fimbriae. Some strains of E. coli are piliated and are capable of accepting, as well as transferring plasmid to and from other bacteria. This enables the bacteria under stressful or bad conditions to survive. Although its structure is simple with only one chromosomal DNA and a plasmid, it can perform complicated metabolism to help maintain its cell division and cell growth. E. coli produce very rapidly; a single microscopic cell can divide to form a visible colony with millions of cells overnight (phschool.com). It is the preferred bacteria in most laboratories because it grows fast and easy, and can obtain energy from a wide variety of sources. Since the birth of molecular cloning, E. coli has been used as a host for introduced DNA sequences (biotechlearn.org.nz). In 1973, Boyer and Cohen showed that two short pieces of DNA could be cut and pasted together, and returned to
These kinds of polymers have both some advantages and disadvantages. Although they are bioactive and biodegradable and provide high comppressive strength, Degradation of such polymers leads to undesired tissue response due to producing acid formation in degradation process. Metallic scaffolds are another method for bone repair and regenaration. They provide high compressive strength and enormous permanent strength. Metallic scaffolds are mainly made of titanium and talium metals. The main disadvantages of metallic scaffolds are not biodegradable and also discharge metal ions. Recent studies in metallic scaffolds mainly focus on biodegradable materials which can be used improve bioactivity of metals such as titanium.
In Andras Forgacs, “Leather and meat without killing animals” he explains an innovative way to biofabricate leather and meat products. Biofabrication is a process in which cells can be used to create biological materials like organs and tissues.
Over the last few years, there have been great advancements in the construction of self-healing skin. It is hoped in the future that it will be used for prosthetic limbs, skin on robots and potentially as phone screens that heal the cracks. However at the time, there are many complications and further developments necessary before the synthetic skin be used.
Multiplication of attached organisms leads to confluent growth and biofilm formation. Adherent bacteria synthesise extracellular polymers.
Bacterial cells, like plant cells, are surrounded by a cell wall. However, bacterial cell walls are made up of polysaccharide chains linked to amino acids, while plant cell walls are made up of cellulose, which contains no amino acids. Many bacteria secrete a slimy capsule around the outside of the cell wall. The capsule provides additional protection for the cell. Many of the bacteria that cause diseases in animals are surrounded by a capsule. The capsule prevents the white blood cells and antibodies from destroying the invading bacterium. Inside the capsule and the cell wall is the cell membrane. In aerobic bacteria, the reactions of cellular respiration take place on fingerlike infoldings of the cell membrane. Ribosomes are scattered throughout the cytoplasm, and the DNA is generally found in the center of the cell. Many bacilli and spirilla have flagella, which are used for locomotion in water. A few types of bacteria that lack flagella move by gliding on a surface. However, the mechanism of this gliding motion is unknown. Most bacteria are aerobic, they require free oxygen to carry on cellular respiration. Some bacteria, called facultatibe anaerobes can live in either the presence or absence of free oxygen. They obtain energy either by aerobic respiration when oxygen is present or by fermentation when oxygen is absent. Still other bacteria cannot live in the presence of oxygen. These are called obligate anaerobes. Such bacteria obtain energy only fermentation. Through fermentation, different groups of bacteria produce a wide variety of organic compounds. Besides ethyl alcohol and lactic acid, bacterial fermentation can produce acetic acid, acetone, butyl alcohol, glycol, butyric acid, propionic acid, and methane, the main component of natural gas. Most bacteria are heterotrophic bacteria are either saprophytes or parasites. Saprophytes feed on the remains of dead plants and animals, and ordinarily do not cause disease. They release digestive enzymes onto the organic matter. The enzymes breakdown the large food molecules into smaller molecules, which are absorbed by the bacterial cells. Parasites live on or in living organisms, and may cause disease. A few types of bacteria are Autotrophic, they can synthesize the organic nutrients they require from inorganic substances. Autotrophic bacteria are either photosynthetic or Chemosynthetic. The photosynthetic bacteria contain chlorophyll that are different from the plant chlorophyll. In bacterial photosynthesis, hydrogen is obtained by the splitting of compounds other than water.
Addition of air and mechanical mixing to enchance the growth of bacteria and ficilitate subsequent waste reduction
Biofilms are formed by a six step process. First is a reversible process, when an organic monolayer(made of polysaccharides or glycoproteins) absorbs to the surface, altering the chemical and physical properties of the surface. This makes the surface more conditioned and increase the chance that planktonic bacteria will attach. Secondly, also a reversible step, is when the free-floating or planktonic bacteria encounter the conditioned surface, and some attachment of the bacteria may occur. The third step is when the bacteria is left attached too long, then an irreversible attachment occurs. F...
By convention, the field of healthcare research was entirely occupied by physicians and doctors. They were the ones who came up with new methods to treat diseases and get better results from diagnostic tests. Technology, on the other hand, was always looked at as a way to solve problems that we faced that didn’t pertain to the medical sector. It was employed to enhance the quality of life and make day to day work easier. But as technology progressed, so did the areas of application. The structural balancing techniques which were previously used to hold a building steady were now being used to develop near-perfect artificial joints and prosthetic limbs. Transparent polymers, developed to enhance robotic vision, were being suggested as a candidate for an artificial lens for the human eye. Before anyone could even understand what was happening, engineering had taken up the mantle to further medical technology to dizzying new heights.
To conclude, it is stated that biomimicry comes from two words, ‘bios’ meaning life and ‘mimesis’ means mimic. By this, biomimicry shows imitate from nature. Now scientists can discover various principles of the natural phenomena to apply them to the designs of human products and practices. The core idea is that nature has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with. Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers. After billions of years of research and development, failures are fossils, and what surrounds us is the secret to
Smart materials are designed materials that have one or more properties that can be significantly changed in a controlled fashion by external stimuli [8] that provide architects with more opportunity to design that are environmentally sustainable. According to early definitions, smart materials are materials that could respond to their environments in a timely manner [9]. With a look to characteristics of smart materials, we discover that they directly focus on their actuation events and the ability of prognosis, immediate response to the environmental conditions. The external stimuli, Light, Temperature, Pressure, Electric field, Magnetic field and Chemical environment [2] on smart materials cause different effect on smart materials. Addington and Schodek say “The behaviour of a material is dependent upon its interaction with an energy stimulus” [1]. Smart materials according their response to external stimuli classify to three groups: Property change, Energy exchange and Shape memory alloy [9]. Smart materials are often described as adaptive or intelligent materials [2]. Because of this adaptivity, also increases the option space for saving energy while at the same time supporting favourable comfort conditions [10]. With the aim of developing and encouraging appropriate energy policies for the future, it is required to gain an understanding of professional views in all countries, as well as those with extensive fossil fuel reserves [11]. Smart Materials are a particular type of materials that have recently received considerable attention in the international construction industry because they suggest the feasibility of preparing clean energy sources for buildings in aesthetically and architecturally fascinating ways
I have spent so much time learning about design through the paradigm of materials but now I want to connect mechanical aspects to the knowledge I have already gained. I am particularly interested in the research done by Dr. Drew Nelson, Dr. Sheri Sheppard and Dr. Friedrich Prinz whose work most closely fits my interests. I am interested in doing research in mechanical design as influenced by material usage. I am also looking forward to taking courses such as Imperfections in Crystalline Solids, The Magic of Materials and Manufacturing, and Nanomaterials Synthesis and Applications for Mechanical Engineers to explore topics I have already studied, but from a mechanical engineering perspective. Stanford’s combination of rigor and creativity appeal to me. I have always enjoyed a challenge and get great satisfaction from expanding my knowledge. Coming from a Materials Science and Engineering background where I have performed well, both in academics and leadership, I know I can be an asset to and learn from the world-class Mechanical Engineering program at
Rutherford, Adam. "Synthetic Biology and the Rise of the 'spider-goats'" The Observer. Guardian News and Media, 15 Jan. 2012. Web. 08 May 2014.