皇家华人

Dr Diego Lopez Barreiro (UCL CNIE) has been awarded a 拢70k grant for 鈥淎 Nature-inspired Approach To Manufacture Complex Biomineralized Materials鈥�.

Nature creates a raft of materials at ambient conditions, in aqueous environments, and from renewable feedstocks, that display impressive traits (e.g., ability to self-assemble, regenerate, or sense and respond to the environment) thanks to the synergistic action of cells and biopolymeric scaffolds. These properties are further reinforced via controlled biomineralization in some natural materials like bone, teeth, or nacre.

The properties and assembly mechanisms found in Nature鈥檚 biomineralised materials provide inspiration for the development of synthetic biomineralised materials with applications in e.g., bone tissue regeneration, organoids, protective garments, or functional coatings. This is precisely what the CNIE researcher Diego L贸pez Barreiro will explore in a project titled 鈥淎 nature-inspired approach to manufacture complex biomineralised materials鈥� that was recently funded by the Royal Society. To do so, his lab will 3D-print engineered living materials (ELMs) that host bacterial cells genetically edited to secrete adherent biomineralising peptides on demand. This project will build on the team鈥檚 expertise on recombinant protein materials and on silica and hydroxyapatite biomineralisation. Their aim is to untap the potential of biomineralised ELMs for healthcare and beyond.

(Photograph by on )