RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Shape-morphing living composites
JF Science Advances
JO Sci Adv
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP eaax8582
DO 10.1126/sciadv.aax8582
VO 6
IS 3
A1 Rivera-Tarazona, L. K.
A1 Bhat, V. D.
A1 Kim, H.
A1 Campbell, Z. T.
A1 Ware, T. H.
YR 2020
UL http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/3/eaax8582.abstract
AB This work establishes a means to exploit genetic networks to create living synthetic composites that change shape in response to specific biochemical or physical stimuli. Baker’s yeast embedded in a hydrogel forms a responsive material where cellular proliferation leads to a controllable increase in the composite volume of up to 400%. Genetic manipulation of the yeast enables composites where volume change on exposure to l-histidine is 14× higher than volume change when exposed to d-histidine or other amino acids. By encoding an optogenetic switch into the yeast, spatiotemporally controlled shape change is induced with pulses of dim blue light (2.7 mW/cm2). These living, shape-changing materials may enable sensors or medical devices that respond to highly specific cues found within a biological milieu.