Nanoscale Technorganic Printing: Towards Fabricating Biomimetic Molecular Machines
The functionality and origins of life remain as some of the most elusive and intriguing scientific mysteries humans have grappled with for as long as we have existed. The human being is composed of nearly 40 trillion cells which work together in unison around the clock to perform seemingly simple macroscale functions such as blood sugar regulation, heart rate control, oxygen transport, self-healing, movement, and body temperature maintenance. They are able to accomplish these macroscale functions through a nearly perfectly orchestrated series of events happening at the molecular scale with proteins and molecules leading to the conversion of various different forms of energy including chemical, electrical, heat, and mechanical energy into useful work.
While most researchers in fields like tissue engineering and regenerative medicine tend to treat cells as black boxes, we posit that tissue engineering will never truly be successful until we can fabricate and replicate the functionalities of life at all scales down to that of molecular machines like ATP synthase and the intricately designed flagellar motor.
In this work, we are exploring the potential of a new type of material that has displayed characteristics akin to that of biological systems including the ability to self-assemble, self-heal, and convert energy into useful work. We are calling this type of material a technorganic material. Building on decades of work in MRL done on atomic force microscopes, we are experimenting with developing mechatronic systems that can enable 3D printing with these unique materials and eventually functionalize them and scale them up to create state of the art energy conversion machines and biocompatible devices to help humans suffering from various conditions associated with their organs and tissues.
To this end, our project has taken two key paths: (1) developing a proof of concept 3D nanoprinting system using the technorganic material and (2) developing a fully customized nanoprinting nozzle that can enable unprecedented functionalities like multimaterial printing integrated with custom printing deposition control systems. The main contributions of this work so far are as follows:
(1) Successful Technorganic Deposition Proof of Concept Using Off-the-Shelf Components and Custom Built AFM
(2) New Multiscale Fabrication and Assembly Protocol for Creating Functional Custom Cantilevers
(3) Developed Protocols for Developing Custom Cantilevers and Functionalizing them for Nanoprinting Applications
(4) Proved Multifluidic Functionality on the Microscale Using a Novel 2PP-Printed Pneumatically Controlled Flexural System