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Abbasi-Malati Z, Khanicheragh P, Narmi MT, Mardi N, Khosrowshahi ND, Hiradfar A, Rezabakhsh A, Sadeghsoltani F, Rashidi S, Chegeni SA, Roozbahani G, Rahbarghazi R. Tumoroids, a valid preclinical screening platform for monitoring cancer angiogenesis. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:267. [PMID: 39183337 PMCID: PMC11346257 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03880-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, biologists and clinicians have witnessed prominent advances in in vitro 3D culture techniques related to biomimetic human/animal tissue analogs. Numerous data have confirmed that unicellular and multicellular (tumoroids) tumor spheroids with dense native cells in certain matrices are sensitive and valid analytical tools for drug screening, cancer cell dynamic growth, behavior, etc. in laboratory settings. Angiogenesis/vascularization is a very critical biological phenomenon to support oxygen and nutrients to tumor cells within the deep layer of solid masses. It has been shown that endothelial cell (EC)-incorporated or -free spheroid/tumoroid systems provide a relatively reliable biological platform for monitoring the formation of nascent blood vessels in micron/micrometer scales. Besides, the paracrine angiogenic activity of cells within the spheroid/tumoroid systems can be monitored after being treated with different therapeutic approaches. Here, we aimed to collect recent advances and findings related to the monitoring of cancer angiogenesis using unicellular and multicellular tumor spheroids. Vascularized spheroids/tumoroids can help us in the elucidation of mechanisms related to cancer formation, development, and metastasis by monitoring the main influencing factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Abbasi-Malati
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Parisa Khanicheragh
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Narges Mardi
- Biotechnology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Nafiseh Didar Khosrowshahi
- Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Laboratory, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, 51335-1996, Iran
| | - Amirataollah Hiradfar
- Pediatric Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Aysa Rezabakhsh
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Somayyeh Rashidi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | | | - Golbarg Roozbahani
- Department of Plant, Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reza Rahbarghazi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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Wang J, Wen Y, Pan D, Lin S, Chinnappan A, He Q, Liu C, Huang Z, Cai S, Ramakrishna S, Shin S. High Thermal Conductive Liquid Crystal Elastomer Nanofibers. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:9990-9997. [PMID: 39101516 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c02752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), consisting of polymer networks and liquid crystal mesogens, show a reversible phase change under thermal stimuli. However, the kinetic performance is limited by the inherently low thermal conductivity of the polymers. Transforming amorphous bulk into a fiber enhances thermal conductivity through the alignment of polymer chains. Challenges are present due to their rigid networks, while cross-links are crucial for deformation. Here, we employ hydrodynamic alignment to orient the LCE domains assisted by controlled in situ cross-linking and to remarkably reduce the diameter to submicrons. We report that the intrinsic thermal conductivity of LCE fibers at room temperature reaches 1.44 ± 0.32 W/m-K with the sub-100 nm diameter close to the upper limit determined in the quasi-1D regime. Combining the outstanding thermal conductivity and thin diameters, we anticipate these fibers to exhibit a rapid response and high force output in thermomechanical systems. The fabrication method is expected to apply to other cross-linked polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxuan Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
| | - Yue Wen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
| | - Duo Pan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
- Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Mold (Zhengzhou University), Ministry of Education; National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Shulang Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
| | - Amutha Chinnappan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
| | - Qiguang He
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin 999077, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chuntai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Mold (Zhengzhou University), Ministry of Education; National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Zhiwei Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
| | - Shengqiang Cai
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States of America
| | - Seeram Ramakrishna
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
| | - Sunmi Shin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore
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3
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Chen J, Luo Y. Disodium Cromoglycate Templates Anisotropic Short-Chain PEG Hydrogels. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:33223-33234. [PMID: 38885610 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c07181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Anisotropic hydrogels have found widespread applications in biomedical engineering, particularly as scaffolds for tissue engineering. However, it remains a challenge to produce them using conventional fabrication methods, without specialized synthesis or equipment, such as 3D printing and unidirectional stretching. In this study, we explore the self-assembly behaviors of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), using disodium cromoglycate (DSCG), a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal, as a removable template. The affinity between short-chain PEGDA (Mn = 250) and DSCG allows polymerization to take place at the DSCG surface, thereby forming anisotropic hydrogel networks with fibrin-like morphologies. This process requires considerable finesse as the phase behaviors of DSCG depend on a multitude of factors, including the weight percentage of PEGDA and DSCG, the chain length of PEGDA, and the concentration of ionic species. The key to modulating the microstructures of the all-PEG hydrogel networks is through precise control of the DSCG concentration, resulting in anisotropic mechanical properties. Using these anisotropic hydrogel networks, we demonstrate that human dermal fibroblasts are particularly sensitive to the alignment order. We find that cells exhibit a density-dependent activation pattern of a Yes-associated protein, a mechanotransducer, corroborating its role in enabling cells to translate external mechanical and morphological patterns to specific behaviors. The flexibility of modulating microstructure, along with PEG hydrogels' biocompatibility and biodegradability, underscores their potential use for tissue engineering to create functional structures with physiological morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Yimin Luo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
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4
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Haputhanthrige NP, Paladugu S, Lavrentovich MO, Lavrentovich OD. Trapping of isotropic droplets by disclinations in nematic liquid crystals controlled by surface anchoring and elastic constant disparity. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:064703. [PMID: 39020964 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.064703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Linear defects such as dislocations and disclinations in ordered materials attract foreign particles since they replace strong elastic distortions at the defect cores. In this work, we explore the behavior of isotropic droplets nucleating at singular disclinations in a nematic liquid crystal, predesigned by surface photopatterning. Experiments show that in the biphasic nematic-isotropic region, although the droplets are attracted to the disclination cores, their centers of mass shift away from the core centers as the temperature increases. The shift is not random, being deterministically defined by the surrounding director field. The effect is explained by the balance of interfacial anchoring and bulk elasticity. An agreement with the experiment can be achieved only if the model accounts for the disparity of the nematic elastic constants; the so-called one-constant approximation, often used in the theoretical analysis of liquid crystals, produces qualitatively wrong predictions. In particular, the experimentally observed shift towards the bend region around a +1/2 disclination core can be explained only when the bend constant is larger than the splay constant. The described dependence of the precise location of a foreign inclusion at defect cores on the elastic and surface anchoring properties can be used in rational design of microscale architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maxim O Lavrentovich
- Department of Earth, Environment, and Physics, Worcester State University, Worcester, Massachusetts 01602, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Oleg D Lavrentovich
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
- Materials Science Graduate Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
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5
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Jia B, Huang H, Dong Z, Ren X, Lu Y, Wang W, Zhou S, Zhao X, Guo B. Degradable biomedical elastomers: paving the future of tissue repair and regenerative medicine. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:4086-4153. [PMID: 38465517 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00923h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Degradable biomedical elastomers (DBE), characterized by controlled biodegradability, excellent biocompatibility, tailored elasticity, and favorable network design and processability, have become indispensable in tissue repair. This review critically examines the recent advances of biodegradable elastomers for tissue repair, focusing mainly on degradation mechanisms and evaluation, synthesis and crosslinking methods, microstructure design, processing techniques, and tissue repair applications. The review explores the material composition and cross-linking methods of elastomers used in tissue repair, addressing chemistry-related challenges and structural design considerations. In addition, this review focuses on the processing methods of two- and three-dimensional structures of elastomers, and systematically discusses the contribution of processing methods such as solvent casting, electrostatic spinning, and three-/four-dimensional printing of DBE. Furthermore, we describe recent advances in tissue repair using DBE, and include advances achieved in regenerating different tissues, including nerves, tendons, muscle, cardiac, and bone, highlighting their efficacy and versatility. The review concludes by discussing the current challenges in material selection, biodegradation, bioactivation, and manufacturing in tissue repair, and suggests future research directions. This concise yet comprehensive analysis aims to provide valuable insights and technical guidance for advances in DBE for tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Jia
- School of Civil Aviation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Heyuan Huang
- School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China.
| | - Zhicheng Dong
- School of Civil Aviation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Xiaoyang Ren
- School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China.
| | - Yanyan Lu
- School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China.
| | - Wenzhi Wang
- School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China.
| | - Shaowen Zhou
- Department of Periodontology, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, and Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
| | - Baolin Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, and Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
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Makhija E, Zheng Y, Wang J, Leong HR, Othman RB, Ng EX, Lee EH, Kellogg LT, Lee YH, Yu H, Poon Z, Van Vliet KJ. Topological defects in self-assembled patterns of mesenchymal stromal cells in vitro are predictive attributes of condensation and chondrogenesis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297769. [PMID: 38547243 PMCID: PMC10977694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising therapeutic agents for cartilage regeneration, including the potential of cells to promote chondrogenesis in vivo. However, process development and regulatory approval of MSCs as cell therapy products benefit from facile in vitro approaches that can predict potency for a given production run. Current standard in vitro approaches include a 21 day 3D differentiation assay followed by quantification of cartilage matrix proteins. We propose a novel biophysical marker that is cell population-based and can be measured from in vitro monolayer culture of MSCs. We hypothesized that the self-assembly pattern that emerges from collective-cell behavior would predict chondrogenesis motivated by our observation that certain features in this pattern, namely, topological defects, corresponded to mesenchymal condensations. Indeed, we observed a strong predictive correlation between the degree-of-order of the pattern at day 9 of the monolayer culture and chondrogenic potential later estimated from in vitro 3D chondrogenic differentiation at day 21. These findings provide the rationale and the proof-of-concept for using self-assembly patterns to monitor chondrogenic commitment of cell populations. Such correlations across multiple MSC donors and production batches suggest that self-assembly patterns can be used as a candidate biophysical attribute to predict quality and efficacy for MSCs employed therapeutically for cartilage regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekta Makhija
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yang Zheng
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- NUS Tissue Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jiahao Wang
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Ren Leong
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- Engineering Science Programme, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rashidah Binte Othman
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ee Xien Ng
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eng Hin Lee
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- NUS Tissue Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lisa Tucker Kellogg
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yie Hou Lee
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology Academic Clinical Programme, SingHealth Duke-NUS, Singapore, Singapore
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Cell Therapy Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hanry Yu
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhiyong Poon
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Cell Therapy Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Haematology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Krystyn J. Van Vliet
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Killeen A, Bertrand T, Lee CF. Machine learning topological defects in confluent tissues. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2024; 4:100142. [PMID: 38313863 PMCID: PMC10837480 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2024.100142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Active nematics is an emerging paradigm for characterizing biological systems. One aspect of particularly intense focus is the role active nematic defects play in these systems, as they have been found to mediate a growing number of biological processes. Accurately detecting and classifying these defects in biological systems is, therefore, of vital importance to improving our understanding of such processes. While robust methods for defect detection exist for systems of elongated constituents, other systems, such as epithelial layers, are not well suited to such methods. Here, we address this problem by developing a convolutional neural network to detect and classify nematic defects in confluent cell layers. Crucially, our method is readily implementable on experimental images of cell layers and is specifically designed to be suitable for cells that are not rod shaped, which we demonstrate by detecting defects on experimental data using the trained model. We show that our machine learning model outperforms current defect detection techniques and that this manifests itself in our method as requiring less data to accurately capture defect properties. This could drastically improve the accuracy of experimental data interpretation while also reducing costs, advancing the study of nematic defects in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Killeen
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thibault Bertrand
- Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chiu Fan Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom
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Piven A, Darmoroz D, Skorb E, Orlova T. Machine learning methods for liquid crystal research: phases, textures, defects and physical properties. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:1380-1391. [PMID: 38288719 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01634j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Liquid crystal materials, with their unique properties and diverse applications, have long captured the attention of researchers and industries alike. From liquid crystal displays and electro-optical devices to advanced sensors and emerging technologies, the study and application of liquid crystals continue to be of paramount importance in the fields of materials science, chemistry and physics. With the ever-increasing complexity and diversity of liquid crystal materials, researchers face new challenges in understanding their behaviors, properties, and potential applications. On the other hand, machine learning, a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field at the intersection of computer science and data analysis, has already become a powerful tool for unraveling implicit correlations and predicting new properties of a wide variety of physical and chemical systems and structures. Here we aim to consider how machine learning methods are suitable for solving fundamental problems in the field of liquid crystals and what are the advantages of this artificial intelligence based approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia Piven
- Infochemistry Scientific Center, ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Darina Darmoroz
- Infochemistry Scientific Center, ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Ekaterina Skorb
- Infochemistry Scientific Center, ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Tetiana Orlova
- Infochemistry Scientific Center, ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
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9
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Lee G, Park G, Park JG, Bak Y, Lee C, Yoon DK. Universal Strategy for Inorganic Nanoparticle Incorporation into Mesoporous Liquid Crystal Polymer Particles. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307388. [PMID: 37991422 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Developing inorganic-organic composite polymers necessitates a new strategy for effectively controlling shape and optical properties while accommodating guest materials, as conventional polymers primarily act as carriers that transport inorganic substances. Here, a universal approach is introduced utilizing mesoporous liquid crystal polymer particles (MLPs) to fabricate inorganic-organic composites. By leveraging the liquid crystal phase, morphology and optical properties are precisely controlled through the molecular-level arrangement of the host, here monomers. The controlled host material allows the synthesis of inorganic particles within the matrix or accommodation of presynthesized nano-inorganic particles, all while preserving the intrinsic properties of the host material. This composite material surpasses the functional capabilities of the polymer alone by sequentially integrating one or more inorganic materials, allowing for the incorporation of multiple functionalities within a single polymer particle. Furthermore, this approach effectively mitigates the drawbacks associated with guest materials resulting in a substantial enhancement of composite performance. The presented approach is anticipated to hold immense potential for various applications in optoelectronics, catalysis, and biosensing, addressing the evolving demands of the society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geunjung Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Geonhyeong Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jesse G Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeongseo Bak
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Changjae Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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Dedenon M, Dessalles CA, Guillamat P, Roux A, Kruse K, Blanch-Mercader C. Density-Polarity Coupling in Confined Active Polar Films: Asters, Spirals, and Biphasic Orientational Phases. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:268301. [PMID: 38215373 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.268301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Topological defects in active polar fluids can organize spontaneous flows and influence macroscopic density patterns. Both of them play an important role during animal development. Yet the influence of density on active flows is poorly understood. Motivated by experiments on cell monolayers confined to disks, we study the coupling between density and polar order for a compressible active polar fluid in the presence of a +1 topological defect. As in the experiments, we find a density-controlled spiral-to-aster transition. In addition, biphasic orientational phases emerge as a generic outcome of such coupling. Our results highlight the importance of density gradients as a potential mechanism for controlling flow and orientational patterns in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Dedenon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Claire A Dessalles
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pau Guillamat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurélien Roux
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karsten Kruse
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carles Blanch-Mercader
- Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie, CNRS UMR168, Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
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Auriau J, Usson Y, Jouk PS. Soft-Matter Physics Provides New Insights on Myocardial Architecture: Automatic and Quantitative Identification of Topological Defects in the Trabecular Myocardium. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2023; 11:11. [PMID: 38248881 PMCID: PMC10816116 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd11010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This article is the third in our series dedicated to the analysis of cardiac myoarchitecture as a nematic chiral liquid crystal (NCLC). Previously, we introduced the concept of topological defects (disclinations) and focused on their visual identification inside the compact myocardium. Herein, we investigate these using a mathematical and automated algorithm for the reproducible identification of a larger panel of topological defects throughout the myocardium of 13 perinatal and 11 early infant hearts. This algorithm identified an average of 29 ± 11 topological defects per slice with a 2D topological charge of m = +1/2 and an average of 27 ± 10 topological defects per slice with a 2D topological charge of m = -1/2. The excess of defects per slice with a 2D topological charge of m = +1/2 was statistically significant (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the distribution of defects with a 2D topological charge of m = +1/2 and m = -1/2 between perinatal and early infant hearts. These defects were mostly arranged in pairs, as expected in nematics, and located inside the trabecular myocardium. When isolated, defects with a 2D topological charge of m = +1/2 were located near the luminal extremity of the trabeculae and those with a 2D topological charge of m = -1/2 were located at the anterior and posterior part of the interventricular septum. These findings constitute an advance in the characterization of the deep cardiac myoarchitecture for application in developmental and pathological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Auriau
- Equipe Biologie Computationnelle et Modélisation, University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgroSup, Grenoble INP, CHU Grenoble Alpes, TIMC, 38000 Grenoble, France; (Y.U.); (P.-S.J.)
- Service de Cardiologie, CHU Grenoble Alpes, CS 10217, CEDEX 9, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Yves Usson
- Equipe Biologie Computationnelle et Modélisation, University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgroSup, Grenoble INP, CHU Grenoble Alpes, TIMC, 38000 Grenoble, France; (Y.U.); (P.-S.J.)
| | - Pierre-Simon Jouk
- Equipe Biologie Computationnelle et Modélisation, University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgroSup, Grenoble INP, CHU Grenoble Alpes, TIMC, 38000 Grenoble, France; (Y.U.); (P.-S.J.)
- Service de Génétique, Génomique et Procréation, CHU Grenoble Alpes, CS 10217, CEDEX 9, 38043 Grenoble, France
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12
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Li S, Aizenberg M, Lerch MM, Aizenberg J. Programming Deformations of 3D Microstructures: Opportunities Enabled by Magnetic Alignment of Liquid Crystalline Elastomers. ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH 2023; 4:1008-1019. [PMID: 38148997 PMCID: PMC10749463 DOI: 10.1021/accountsmr.3c00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic structures that undergo controlled movement are crucial building blocks for developing new technologies applicable to robotics, healthcare, and sustainable self-regulated materials. Yet, programming motion is nontrivial, and particularly at the microscale it remains a fundamental challenge. At the macroscale, movement can be controlled by conventional electric, pneumatic, or combustion-based machinery. At the nanoscale, chemistry has taken strides in enabling molecularly fueled movement. Yet in between, at the microscale, top-down fabrication becomes cumbersome and expensive, while bottom-up chemical self-assembly and amplified molecular motion does not reach the necessary sophistication. Hence, new approaches that converge top-down and bottom-up methods and enable motional complexity at the microscale are urgently needed. Synthetic anisotropic materials (e.g., liquid crystalline elastomers, LCEs) with encoded molecular anisotropy that are shaped into arbitrary geometries by top-down fabrication promise new opportunities to implement controlled actuation at the microscale. In such materials, motional complexity is directly linked to the built-in molecular anisotropy that can be "activated" by external stimuli. So far, encoding the desired patterns of molecular directionality has relied mostly on either mechanical or surface alignment techniques, which do not allow the decoupling of molecular and geometric features, severely restricting achievable material shapes and thus limiting attainable actuation patterns, unless complex multimaterial constructs are fabricated. Electromagnetic fields have recently emerged as possible alternatives to provide 3D control over local anisotropy, independent of the geometry of a given 3D object. The combination of magnetic alignment and soft lithography, in particular, provides a powerful platform for the rapid, practical, and facile production of microscale soft actuators with field-defined local anisotropy. Recent work has established the feasibility of this approach with low magnetic field strengths (in the lower mT range) and comparably simple setups used for the fabrication of the microactuators, in which magnetic fields can be engineered through arrangement of permanent magnets. This workflow gives access to microstructures with unusual spatial patterning of molecular alignment and has enabled a multitude of nontrivial deformation types that would not be possible to program by any other means at the micron scale. A range of "activating" stimuli can be used to put these structures in motion, and the type of the trigger plays a key role too: directional and dynamic stimuli (such as light) make it possible to activate the patterned anisotropic material locally and transiently, which enables one to achieve and further program motional complexity and communication in microactuators. In this Account, we will discuss recent advances in magnetic alignment of molecular anisotropy and its use in soft lithography and related fabrication approaches to create LCE microactuators. We will examine how design choices-from the molecular to the fabrication and the operational levels-control and define the achievable LCE deformations. We then address the role of stimuli in realizing the motional complexity and how one can engineer feedback within and communication between microactuator arrays fabricated by soft lithography. Overall, we outline emerging strategies that make possible a completely new approach to designing for desired sets of motions of active, microscale objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shucong Li
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard
University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Michael Aizenberg
- John
A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Michael M. Lerch
- John
A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joanna Aizenberg
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard
University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- John
A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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13
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Fallah-Darrehchi M, Zahedi P. Improvement of Intracellular Interactions through Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Scaffolds by the Alteration of Topology. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:46878-46891. [PMID: 38107894 PMCID: PMC10720303 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Preparation of inherently bioactive scaffolds has become a challenging issue owing to their complicated synthesis and nonrobust modified cell-actuating property. Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs), due to their combined specialties of liquid crystals and elastomers as well as their ability to respond to various kinds of stimuli, have reversibly led to the design of a new class of stimuli-responsive tissue-engineered scaffolds. In this line, in the first stage of this research work, synthesis and evaluation of acrylate-based LCE films (LCEfilm) encompassing mesogenic monomers are carried out. In the second step, the design of an affordable electrospinning technique for preparing LCE nanofibers (LCEfiber) as a problematic topic, thanks to the low molecular weight of the mesogenic chains of LCEs, is investigated. For this purpose, two approaches are considered, including (1) photo-cross-linking of electrospun LCEfiber and (2) blending LCE with poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) to produce morphologically stable nanofibers (PCL-LCEfiber). In the following, thermal, mechanical, and morphological evaluations show the optimized crosslinker (mol)/aliphatic spacer (mol) molar ratio of 50:50 for LCEfilm samples. On the other hand, for LCEfiber samples, the appropriate amounts of excessive mesogenic monomer and PCL/LCE (v/v) to fabricate the uniform nanofibers are determined to be 20% and 1:2, respectively. Eventually, PC12 cell compatibility and the impact of the liquid crystalline phase on the PC12 cell dynamic behavior of the samples are examined. The obtained results reveal that PC12 cells cultured on electrospun PCL-LCEfiber nanofibers with an average diameter of ∼659 nm per sample are alive and the scaffold has susceptibility for cell proliferation and actuation because of the rapid increase in cell density and number of singularity points formed in time-lapse cell imaging. Moreover, the PCL-LCEfiber nanofibrous scaffold exhibits a high performance for cell differentiation according to detailed biological evaluations such as gene expression level measurements. The time-lapse evaluation of PC12 cell flow fields confirms the significant influence of the reprogrammable liquid crystalline phase in the PCL-LCEfiber nanofibrous scaffold on topographical cue induction compared to the biodegradable PCL nanofibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahshid Fallah-Darrehchi
- Nano-Biopolymers Research
Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417613131, Iran
| | - Payam Zahedi
- Nano-Biopolymers Research
Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417613131, Iran
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14
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Eckert J, Ladoux B, Mège RM, Giomi L, Schmidt T. Hexanematic crossover in epithelial monolayers depends on cell adhesion and cell density. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5762. [PMID: 37717032 PMCID: PMC10505199 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41449-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in tissue geometry during developmental processes are associated with collective migration of cells. Recent experimental and numerical results suggest that these changes could leverage on the coexistence of nematic and hexatic orientational order at different length scales. How this multiscale organization is affected by the material properties of the cells and their substrate is presently unknown. In this study, we address these questions in monolayers of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells having various cell densities and molecular repertoires. At small length scales, confluent monolayers are characterized by a prominent hexatic order, independent of the presence of E-cadherin, monolayer density, and underlying substrate stiffness. However, all three properties affect the meso-scale tissue organization. The length scale at which hexatic order transits to nematic order, the "hexanematic" crossover scale, strongly depends on cell-cell adhesions and correlates with monolayer density. Our study demonstrates how epithelial organization is affected by mechanical properties, and provides a robust description of tissue organization during developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Eckert
- Physics of Life Processes, Leiden Institute of Physics, Universiteit Leiden, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Centre for Cell Biology of Chronic Disease, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Benoît Ladoux
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - René-Marc Mège
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Luca Giomi
- Instituut-Lorentz, Leiden Institute of Physics, Universiteit Leiden, P.O. Box 9506, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Physics of Life Processes, Leiden Institute of Physics, Universiteit Leiden, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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15
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Zhang Z, Yang X, Zhao Y, Ye F, Shang L. Liquid Crystal Materials for Biomedical Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2300220. [PMID: 37235719 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal is a state of matter being intermediate between solid and liquid. Liquid crystal materials exhibit both orientational order and fluidity. While liquid crystals have long been highly recognized in the display industry, in recent decades, liquid crystals provide new opportunities into the cross-field of material science and biomedicine due to their biocompatibility, multifunctionality, and responsiveness. In this review, the latest achievements of liquid crystal materials applied in biomedical fields are summarized. The start is made by introducing the basic concepts of liquid crystals, and then shifting to the components of liquid crystals as well as functional materials derived therefrom. After that, the ongoing and foreseeable applications of liquid crystal materials in the biomedical field with emphasis put on several cutting-edge aspects, including drug delivery, bioimaging, tissue engineering, implantable devices, biosensing, and wearable devices are discussed. It is hoped that this review will stimulate ingenious ideas for the future generation of liquid crystal-based drug development, artificial implants, disease diagnosis, health status monitoring, and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuohao Zhang
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xinyuan Yang
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China
| | - Luoran Shang
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism (Ministry of Science and Technology), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
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16
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Katayama K, Yoshimura T, Yamashita S, Teratani H, Murakami T, Suzuki H, Fukuda JI. Formation of topological defects at liquid/liquid crystal interfaces in micro-wells controlled by surfactants and light. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:6578-6588. [PMID: 37603438 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00838j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Topological defects, the fundamental entities arising from symmetry-breaking, have captivated the attention of physicists, mathematicians, and materials scientists for decades. Here we propose and demonstrate a novel method for robust control of topological defects in a liquid crystal (LC), an ideal testbed for the investigation of topological defects. A liquid layer is introduced on the LC in microwells in a microfluidic device. The liquid/LC interface facilitates the control of the LC alignment thereby introducing different molecules in the liquid/LC phase. A topological defect is robustly formed in a microwell when the liquid/LC interface and the microwell surface impose planar and homeotropic alignment, respectively. We also demonstrate the formation/disappearance of topological defects by light illumination, realized by dissolving photo-responsive molecules in the LC. Our platform that facilitates the control of LC topological defects by the introduction of different molecules and external stimuli could have potential for sensor applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Katayama
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Chuo University, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan.
| | - Takuro Yoshimura
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Chuo University, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan.
| | - Saki Yamashita
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Chuo University, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan.
| | - Hiroto Teratani
- Department of Precision Mechanics, Chuo University, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
| | - Tomoki Murakami
- Department of Precision Mechanics, Chuo University, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suzuki
- Department of Precision Mechanics, Chuo University, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichi Fukuda
- Department of Physics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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17
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Luo Y, Gu M, Park M, Fang X, Kwon Y, Urueña JM, Read de Alaniz J, Helgeson ME, Marchetti CM, Valentine MT. Molecular-scale substrate anisotropy, crowding and division drive collective behaviours in cell monolayers. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230160. [PMID: 37403487 PMCID: PMC10320338 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of cells to reorganize in response to external stimuli is important in areas ranging from morphogenesis to tissue engineering. While nematic order is common in biological tissues, it typically only extends to small regions of cells interacting via steric repulsion. On isotropic substrates, elongated cells can co-align due to steric effects, forming ordered but randomly oriented finite-size domains. However, we have discovered that flat substrates with nematic order can induce global nematic alignment of dense, spindle-like cells, thereby influencing cell organization and collective motion and driving alignment on the scale of the entire tissue. Remarkably, single cells are not sensitive to the substrate's anisotropy. Rather, the emergence of global nematic order is a collective phenomenon that requires both steric effects and molecular-scale anisotropy of the substrate. To quantify the rich set of behaviours afforded by this system, we analyse velocity, positional and orientational correlations for several thousand cells over days. The establishment of global order is facilitated by enhanced cell division along the substrate's nematic axis, and associated extensile stresses that restructure the cells' actomyosin networks. Our work provides a new understanding of the dynamics of cellular remodelling and organization among weakly interacting cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimin Luo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Mengyang Gu
- Department of Statistics and Applied Probability, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Minwook Park
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Xinyi Fang
- Department of Statistics and Applied Probability, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Younghoon Kwon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Juan Manuel Urueña
- BioPACIFIC MIP, California NanoSystems Institute, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Javier Read de Alaniz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Matthew E. Helgeson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Cristina M. Marchetti
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Megan T. Valentine
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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18
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Langeslay B, Juarez G. Microdomains and stress distributions in bacterial monolayers on curved interfaces. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:3605-3613. [PMID: 37161525 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01498j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Monolayers of growing non-motile rod-shaped bacteria act as active nematic materials composed of hard particles rather than the flexible components of other commonly studied active nematics. The organization of these granular monolayers has been studied on flat surfaces but not on curved surfaces, which are known to change the behavior of other active nematics. We use molecular dynamics simulations to track alignment and stress in growing monolayers fixed to curved surfaces, and investigate how these vary with changing surface curvature and cell aspect ratio. We find that the length scale of alignment (measured by average microdomain size) increases with cell aspect ratio and decreases with curvature. Additionally, we find that alignment controls the distribution of extensile stresses in the monolayer by concentrating stress in negative-order regions. These results connect active nematic physics to bacterial monolayers and can be applied to model bacteria growing on droplets, such as oil-degrading marine bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Langeslay
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Gabriel Juarez
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
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19
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Shin MJ, Im SH, Kim B, Choi J, Lucia SE, Kim W, Park JG, Kim P, Chung HJ, Yoon DK. Fabrication of Scratched Nanogrooves for Highly Oriented Cell Alignment and Application as a Wound Healing Dressing. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:18653-18662. [PMID: 37014981 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Using improper wound care materials may cause impaired wound healing, which can involve scar formation and infection. Herein, we propose a facile method to fabricate a cell-alignment scaffold, which can effectively enhance cell growth and migration, leading to the reproduction of cellular arrangements and restoration of tissues. The principle is scratching a diamond lapping film that gives uniaxial nanotopography on substrates. Cells are seeded to follow the geometric cue via contact guidance, resulting in highly oriented cell alignment. Remarkable biocompatibility is also demonstrated by the high cell viability on various substrates. In vivo studies in a wound healing model in mice show that the scratched film supports directed cell guidance on the nanostructure, with significantly reduced wound areas and inhibition of excessive collagen deposition. Rapid recovery of the epidermis and dermis is also shown by histological analyses, suggesting the potential application of the scratching technique as an advanced wound dressing material for effective tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jeong Shin
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - San Hae Im
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Baekman Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jieun Choi
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for Health Science and Technology (KIHST), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Stephani Edwina Lucia
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for Health Science and Technology (KIHST), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Wantae Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jesse G Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Pilhan Kim
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KI for Health Science and Technology (KIHST), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Chung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 Republic of Korea
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20
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Stepulane A, Ahlgren K, Rodriguez-Palomo A, Rajasekharan AK, Andersson M. Lyotropic liquid crystal elastomers for drug delivery. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2023; 226:113304. [PMID: 37062225 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Silicone elastomers like polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) possess a combination of attractive material and biological properties motivating their widespread use in biomedical applications. Development of elastomers with capacity to deliver active therapeutic substances in the form of drugs is of particular interest to produce medical devices with added functionality. In this work, silicone-based lyotropic liquid crystal elastomers with drug-eluting functionality were developed using PDMS and triblock copolymer (diacrylated Pluronic F127, DA-F127). Various ternary PDMS-DA-F127-H2O compositions were explored and evaluated. Three compositions were found to have specific properties of interest and were further investigated for their nanostructure, mechanical properties, water retention capacity, and morphology. The ability of the elastomers to encapsulate and release polar and nonpolar substances was demonstrated using vancomycin and ibuprofen as model drugs. It was shown that the materials could deliver both types of drugs with a sustained release profile for up to 6 and 5 days for vancomycin and ibuprofen, respectively. This works demonstrates a lyotropic liquid crystal, silicone-based elastomer with tailorable mechanical properties, water retention capacity and ability to host and release polar and nonpolar active substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annija Stepulane
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg SE-412 96, Sweden; Amferia AB, Astra Zeneca BioVentureHub c/o Astra Zeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal SE-431 83, Sweden
| | - Kajsa Ahlgren
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg SE-412 96, Sweden
| | | | - Anand Kumar Rajasekharan
- Amferia AB, Astra Zeneca BioVentureHub c/o Astra Zeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal SE-431 83, Sweden
| | - Martin Andersson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg SE-412 96, Sweden; Amferia AB, Astra Zeneca BioVentureHub c/o Astra Zeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal SE-431 83, Sweden.
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21
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Wang Z, Marchetti MC, Brauns F. Patterning of morphogenetic anisotropy fields. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220167120. [PMID: 36947516 PMCID: PMC10068776 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220167120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Orientational order, encoded in anisotropic fields, plays an important role during the development of an organism. A striking example of this is the freshwater polyp Hydra, where topological defects in the muscle fiber orientation have been shown to localize to key features of the body plan. This body plan is organized by morphogen concentration gradients, raising the question how muscle fiber orientation, morphogen gradients and body shape interact. Here, we introduce a minimal model that couples nematic orientational order to the gradient of a morphogen field. We show that on a planar surface, alignment to a radial concentration gradient can induce unbinding of topological defects, as observed during budding and tentacle formation in Hydra, and stabilize aster/vortex-like defects, as observed at a Hydra's mouth. On curved surfaces mimicking the morphologies of Hydra in various stages of development-from spheroid to adult-our model reproduces the experimentally observed reorganization of orientational order. Our results suggest how gradient alignment and curvature effects may work together to control orientational order during development and lay the foundations for future modeling efforts that will include the tissue mechanics that drive shape deformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihang Wang
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA93106
| | | | - Fridtjof Brauns
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA93106
- Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA93106
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22
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Ustunel S, Sternbach S, Prévôt ME, Freeman EJ, McDonough JA, Clements RJ, Hegmann E. 3D
Co‐culturing of human neuroblastoma and human oligodendrocytes, emulating native tissue using
3D
porous biodegradable liquid crystal elastomers. J Appl Polym Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/app.53883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Senay Ustunel
- Materials Science Graduate Program Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
| | - Sarah Sternbach
- Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
| | - Marianne E. Prévôt
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
| | - Ernie J. Freeman
- Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Biomedical Sciences Program Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Brain Health Research Institute Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
| | - Jennifer A. McDonough
- Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Biomedical Sciences Program Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Brain Health Research Institute Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
| | - Robert J. Clements
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Biomedical Sciences Program Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Brain Health Research Institute Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
| | - Elda Hegmann
- Materials Science Graduate Program Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Biomedical Sciences Program Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
- Brain Health Research Institute Kent State University Kent Ohio USA
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23
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Prévôt ME, Ustunel S, Freychet G, Webb CR, Zhernenkov M, Pindak R, Clements RJ, Hegmann E. Physical Models from Physical Templates Using Biocompatible Liquid Crystal Elastomers as Morphologically Programmable Inks For 3D Printing. Macromol Biosci 2023; 23:e2200343. [PMID: 36415071 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202200343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Advanced manufacturing has received considerable attention as a tool for the fabrication of cell scaffolds however, finding ideal biocompatible and biodegradable materials that fit the correct parameters for 3D printing and guide cells to align remain a challenge. Herein, a photocrosslinkable smectic-A (Sm-A) liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) designed for 3D printing is presented, that promotes cell proliferation but most importantly induces cell anisotropy. The LCE-based bio-ink allows the 3D duplication of a highly complex brain structure generated from an animal model. Vascular tissue models are generated from fluorescently stained mouse tissue spatially imaged using confocal microscopy and subsequently processed to create a digital 3D model suitable for printing. The 3D structure is reproduced using a Digital Light Processing (DLP) stereolithography (SLA) desktop 3D printer. Synchrotron Small-Angle X-ray Diffraction (SAXD) data reveal a strong alignment of the LCE layering within the struts of the printed 3D scaffold. The resultant anisotropy of the LCE struts is then shown to direct cell growth. This study offers a simple approach to produce model tissues built within hours that promote cellular alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne E Prévôt
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Senay Ustunel
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Materials Science Graduate Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Guillaume Freychet
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Synchrotron Light Source-II, Upton, NY, 11973, USA
| | - Caitlyn R Webb
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Mikhail Zhernenkov
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Synchrotron Light Source-II, Upton, NY, 11973, USA
| | - Ron Pindak
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Synchrotron Light Source-II, Upton, NY, 11973, USA
| | - Robert J Clements
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Elda Hegmann
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Materials Science Graduate Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
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24
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Rojas-Rodríguez M, Fiaschi T, Mannelli M, Mortati L, Celegato F, Wiersma DS, Parmeggiani C, Martella D. Cellular Contact Guidance on Liquid Crystalline Networks with Anisotropic Roughness. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15. [PMID: 36791024 PMCID: PMC10037237 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c22892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cell contact guidance is widely employed to manipulate cell alignment and differentiation in vitro. The use of nano- or micro-patterned substrates allows efficient control of cell organization, thus opening up to biological models that cannot be reproduced spontaneously on standard culture dishes. In this paper, we explore the concept of cell contact guidance by Liquid Crystalline Networks (LCNs) presenting different surface topographies obtained by self-assembly of the monomeric mixture. The materials are prepared by photopolymerization of a low amount of diacrylate monomer dissolved in a liquid crystalline solvent, not participating in the reaction. The alignment of the liquid crystals, obtained before polymerization, determines the scaffold morphology, characterized by a nanometric structure. Such materials are able to drive the organization of different cell lines, e.g., fibroblasts and myoblasts, allowing for the alignment of single cells or high-density cell cultures. These results demonstrate the capabilities of rough surfaces prepared from the spontaneous assembly of liquid crystals to control biological models without the need of lithographic patterning or complex fabrication procedures. Interestingly, during myoblast differentiation, also myotube structuring in linear arrays is observed along the LCN fiber orientation. The implementation of this technology will open up to the formation of muscular tissue with well-aligned fibers in vitro mimicking the structure of native tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Rojas-Rodríguez
- European
Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Tania Fiaschi
- Department
of Biomedical, Experimental, and Clinical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, viale Morgagni 50, 50143 Florence, Italy
| | - Michele Mannelli
- Department
of Biomedical, Experimental, and Clinical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, viale Morgagni 50, 50143 Florence, Italy
| | - Leonardo Mortati
- Istituto
Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Federica Celegato
- Istituto
Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Diederik S. Wiersma
- European
Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Istituto
Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Turin, Italy
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Florence, via Sansone
1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Camilla Parmeggiani
- European
Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Istituto
Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Turin, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3−13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Daniele Martella
- European
Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Istituto
Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), strada delle Cacce 91, 10135 Turin, Italy
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25
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Cell Surface Charge Mapping Using a Microelectrode Array on ITO Substrate. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040518. [PMID: 36831185 PMCID: PMC9954061 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Many cellular functions are regulated by cell surface charges, such as intercellular signaling and metabolism. Noninvasive measurement of surface charge distribution of a single cell plays a vital role in understanding cellular functions via cell membranes. We report a method for cell surface charge mapping via photoelectric interactions. A cell is placed on an array of microelectrodes fabricated on a transparent ITO (indium tin oxide) surface. An incident light irradiates the ITO surface from the backside. Because of the influence of the cell surface charge (or zeta potential), the photocurrent and the absorption of the incident light are changed, inducing a magnitude change of the reflected light. Hence, the cell surface charge distribution can be quantified by analyzing the reflected light intensity. This method does not need physical or chemical modification of the cell surface. We validated this method using charged microparticles (MPs) and two types of cells, i.e., human dermal fibroblast cells (HDFs) and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). The measured average zeta potentials were in good agreement with the standard electrophoresis light scattering method.
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26
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Sciortino A, Neumann LJ, Krüger T, Maryshev I, Teshima TF, Wolfrum B, Frey E, Bausch AR. Polarity and chirality control of an active fluid by passive nematic defects. NATURE MATERIALS 2023; 22:260-268. [PMID: 36585435 PMCID: PMC9894751 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01432-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Much like passive materials, active systems can be affected by the presence of imperfections in their microscopic order, called defects, that influence macroscopic properties. This suggests the possibility to steer collective patterns by introducing and controlling defects in an active system. Here we show that a self-assembled, passive nematic is ideally suited to control the pattern formation process of an active fluid. To this end, we force microtubules to glide inside a passive nematic material made from actin filaments. The actin nematic features self-assembled half-integer defects that steer the active microtubules and lead to the formation of macroscopic polar patterns. Moreover, by confining the nematic in circular geometries, chiral loops form. We find that the exact positioning of nematic defects in the passive material deterministically controls the formation and the polarity of the active flow, opening the possibility of efficiently shaping an active material using passive defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Sciortino
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiophysik E27, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Garching bei München, Germany
| | - Lukas J Neumann
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiophysik E27, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Garching bei München, Germany
| | - Timo Krüger
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC) and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
| | - Ivan Maryshev
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC) and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
| | - Tetsuhiko F Teshima
- Neuroelectronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
- Medical & Health Informatics Laboratories, NTT Research Incorporated, Sunnyvale, CA, USA
| | - Bernhard Wolfrum
- Neuroelectronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
- Medical & Health Informatics Laboratories, NTT Research Incorporated, Sunnyvale, CA, USA
| | - Erwin Frey
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC) and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
- Matter to Life Program, Max Planck School, München, Germany
| | - Andreas R Bausch
- Lehrstuhl für Zellbiophysik E27, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany.
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies, Garching bei München, Germany.
- Matter to Life Program, Max Planck School, München, Germany.
- Center for Organoid Systems and Tissue Engineering (COS), Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany.
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27
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Shimaya T, Takeuchi KA. Tilt-induced polar order and topological defects in growing bacterial populations. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac269. [PMID: 36712383 PMCID: PMC9802490 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Rod-shaped bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, commonly live forming mounded colonies. They initially grow two-dimensionally on a surface and finally achieve three-dimensional growth. While it was recently reported that three-dimensional growth is promoted by topological defects of winding number +1/2 in populations of motile bacteria, how cellular alignment plays a role in nonmotile cases is largely unknown. Here, we investigate the relevance of topological defects in colony formation processes of nonmotile E. coli populations, and found that both ±1/2 topological defects contribute to the three-dimensional growth. Analyzing the cell flow in the bottom layer of the colony, we observe that +1/2 defects attract cells and -1/2 defects repel cells, in agreement with previous studies on motile cells, in the initial stage of the colony growth. However, later, cells gradually flow toward -1/2 defects as well, exhibiting a sharp contrast to the existing knowledge. By investigating three-dimensional cell orientations by confocal microscopy, we find that vertical tilting of cells is promoted near the defects. Crucially, this leads to the emergence of a polar order in the otherwise nematic two-dimensional cell orientation. We extend the theory of active nematics by incorporating this polar order and the vertical tilting, which successfully explains the influx toward -1/2 defects in terms of a polarity-induced force. Our work reveals that three-dimensional cell orientations may result in qualitative changes in properties of active nematics, especially those of topological defects, which may be generically relevant in active matter systems driven by cellular growth instead of self-propulsion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuro Shimaya
- Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
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28
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Rajabi M, Lavrentovich O, Shribak M. Instantaneous mapping of liquid crystal orientation using a polychromatic polarizing microscope. LIQUID CRYSTALS 2022; 50:181-190. [PMID: 37293249 PMCID: PMC10249429 DOI: 10.1080/02678292.2022.2142883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Polarizing microscopy brought about many advancements in the science of liquid crystals and other soft materials, including those of biological origin. Recent developments in optics and computer-based analysis enabled a new generation of quantitative polarizing microscopy which produces spatial maps of the optic axis. Unfortunately, most of the available approaches require a long acquisition time of multiple images which are then analyzed to produce the map. We describe a polychromatic polarizing microscope, which allows one to map the patterns of the optical axis in a single-shot exposure, thus enabling a fast temporal resolution. We present a comparative analysis of the new microscope with alternative techniques such as a conventional polarizing optical microscope and MicroImager of Hinds Instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Rajabi
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - Oleg Lavrentovich
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
- Materials Science Graduate Program, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
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29
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Vafa F. Defect dynamics in active polar fluids vs. active nematics. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:8087-8097. [PMID: 36239265 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00830k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Topological defects play a key role in two-dimensional active nematics, and a transient role in two-dimensional active polar fluids. Using a variational method, we study both the transient and long-time behavior of defects in two-dimensional active polar fluids in the limit of strong order and overdamped, compressible flow, and compare the defect dynamics with the corresponding active nematics model studied recently. One result is non-central interactions between defect pairs for active polar fluids, and by extending our analysis to allow orientation dynamics of defects, we find that the orientation of +1 defects, unlike that of ±1/2 defects in active nematics, is not locked to defect positions and relaxes to asters. Moreover, using a scaling argument, we explain the transient feature of active polar defects and show that in the steady state, active polar fluids are either devoid of defects or consist of a single aster. We argue that for contractile (extensile) active nematic systems, +1 vortices (asters) should emerge as bound states of a pair of +1/2 defects, which has been recently observed. Moreover, unlike the polar case, we show that for active nematics, a linear chain of equally spaced bound states of pairs of +1/2 defects can screen the activity term. A common feature in both models is the appearance of +1 defects (elementary in polar and composite in nematic) in the steady state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzan Vafa
- Center of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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30
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Auriau J, Usson Y, Jouk PS. The Nematic Chiral Liquid Crystal Structure of the Cardiac Myoarchitecture: Disclinations and Topological Singularities. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2022; 9:371. [PMID: 36354770 PMCID: PMC9696617 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd9110371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
This is our second article devoted to the cardiac myoarchitecture considered as a nematic chiral liquid crystal (NCLC). While the first article focused on the myoarchitecture of the left ventricle (LV), this new article extends to the whole ventricular mass and introduces the concept of disclinations and topological singularities, which characterize the differences and relationships between the left and right ventricles (RV). At the level of the ventricular apices, we constantly observed a vortex shape at the LV apex, corresponding, in the terminology of liquid crystals, to a "+1 disclination"; we never observed this at the RV apex. At the level of the interventricular septum (IVS), we identified "-1/2 disclinations" at the anterior and posterior parts. During the perinatal period, there was a significant difference in their distribution, with more "-1/2 disclinations" in the posterior part of the IVS. After birth, concomitant to major physiological changes, the number of "-1/2 disclinations" significantly decreased, both in the anterior and posterior parts of the IVS. Finally, the description of the disclinations must be considered in any attempt to segment the whole ventricular mass, in biomechanical studies, and, more generally, for the characterization of myocardial remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Auriau
- Equipe Biologie Computationnelle et Mathématique, University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgroSup, Grenoble INP, CHU Grenoble Alpes, TIMC, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Service de Cardiologie, CHU Grenoble Alpes, CS 10217, CEDEX 9, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Yves Usson
- Equipe Biologie Computationnelle et Mathématique, University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgroSup, Grenoble INP, TIMC, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Pierre-Simon Jouk
- Equipe Biologie Computationnelle et Mathématique, University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgroSup, Grenoble INP, CHU Grenoble Alpes, TIMC, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Service de Génétique, Génomique et Procréation, CHU Grenoble-Alpes, CS 10217, CEDEX 9, 38043 Grenoble, France
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31
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Optimal transport and control of active drops. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2121985119. [PMID: 36001692 PMCID: PMC9436341 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121985119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the complex patterns in space-time exhibited by active systems has been the subject of much interest in recent times. Complementing this forward problem is the inverse problem of controlling active matter. Here, we use optimal control theory to pose the problem of transporting a slender drop of an active fluid and determine the dynamical profile of the active stresses to move it with minimal viscous dissipation. By parametrizing the position and size of the drop using a low-order description based on lubrication theory, we uncover a natural "gather-move-spread" strategy that leads to an optimal bound on the maximum achievable displacement of the drop relative to its size. In the continuum setting, the competition between passive surface tension and active controls generates richer behavior with futile oscillations and complex drop morphologies that trade internal dissipation against the transport cost to select optimal strategies. Our work combines active hydrodynamics and optimal control in a tractable and interpretable framework and begins to pave the way for the spatiotemporal manipulation of active matter.
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32
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Choi S, Kim B, Park S, Seo JH, Ahn SK. Slidable Cross-Linking Effect on Liquid Crystal Elastomers: Enhancement of Toughness, Shape-Memory, and Self-Healing Properties. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:32486-32496. [PMID: 35792581 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c06462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The network structures of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are crucial to impart rubbery behavior to LCEs and enable reversible actuation. Most LCEs developed to date are covalently linked, implying that the cross-links are fixed at a particular position. Herein, we report a new class of LCEs integrating polyrotaxanes (PRs) as slidable cross-links (PR-LCEs). Interestingly, the incorporation of a low loading (0.3-2.0 wt %) of the PR cross-linkers to the LCE causes a significant impact on various properties of the resulting PR-LCEs due to the pulley effect. The optimum PR loading is determined to be 0.5 wt %, at which point the toughness and damping behavior are maximized. The robust mechanical properties of the PR-LCE offers a superior actuation performance to that of the pristine LCE along with an excellent quadruple shape-memory effect. Furthermore, the incorporation of PR is useful to enhance the efficiency of shape-memory-assisted self-healing when heating above the nematic-isotropic transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subi Choi
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Bitgaram Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungmin Park
- Advanced Materials Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hun Seo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk-Kyun Ahn
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
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33
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Abadia AV, Herbert KM, White TJ, Schwartz DK, Kaar JL. Biocatalytic 3D Actuation in Liquid Crystal Elastomers via Enzyme Patterning. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:26480-26488. [PMID: 35652291 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are stimuli-responsive materials that undergo large shape transformations after undergoing an order-disorder transition. While shape reconfigurations in LCEs are predominantly triggered by heat, there is a considerable interest in developing highly specific triggers that work at room temperature. Herein, we report the fabrication of biocatalytic LCEs that respond to the presence of urea by covalently immobilizing urease within chemically responsive LCE networks. The hydrogen-bonded LCEs developed in this work exhibited contractile strains of up to 36% upon exposure to a base. Notably, the generation of ammonia by immobilized urease triggered a disruption in the supramolecular network and a large reduction of liquid crystalline order in the films when the LCEs were exposed to urea. This reduction in order was macroscopically translated into a strain response that could be modulated by changing the concentration of urea or exposure time to the substrate. Local control of the mechanical response of the LCE was realized by spatially patterning the enzyme on the surface of the films. Subsequent exposure of enzymatically patterned LCE to urea-triggered 3D shape transformations into a curl, arch, or accordion-like structure, depending on the motif patterned on the film surface. Furthermore, we showed that the presence of salt was critical to prevent bridging of the network by the presence of ammonium ions, thereby enabling such macroscopic 3D shape changes. The large actuation potential of LCEs and the ability to translate the biocatalytic activity of enzymes to macroscopic 3D shape transformations could enable use in applications ranging from cell culture, medicine, or antifouling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Velasco Abadia
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Katie M Herbert
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Timothy J White
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Material Science and Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Daniel K Schwartz
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Joel L Kaar
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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34
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Uchida J, Soberats B, Gupta M, Kato T. Advanced Functional Liquid Crystals. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2109063. [PMID: 35034382 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202109063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals have been intensively studied as functional materials. Recently, integration of various disciplines has led to new directions in the design of functional liquid-crystalline materials in the fields of energy, water, photonics, actuation, sensing, and biotechnology. Here, recent advances in functional liquid crystals based on polymers, supramolecular complexes, gels, colloids, and inorganic-based hybrids are reviewed, from design strategies to functionalization of these materials and interfaces. New insights into liquid crystals provided by significant progress in advanced measurements and computational simulations, which enhance new design and functionalization of liquid-crystalline materials, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junya Uchida
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Bartolome Soberats
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Balearic Islands, Cra. Valldemossa Km. 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, 07122, Spain
| | - Monika Gupta
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Takashi Kato
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
- Research Initiative for Supra-Materials, Shinshu University, Wakasato, Nagano, 380-8553, Japan
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35
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Beating of a Spherical Liquid Crystal Elastomer Balloon under Periodic Illumination. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13050769. [PMID: 35630236 PMCID: PMC9146708 DOI: 10.3390/mi13050769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Periodic excitation is a relatively simple and common active control mode. Owing to the advantages of direct access to environmental energy and controllability under periodic illumination, it enjoys broad prospects for application in soft robotics and opto-mechanical energy conversion systems. More new oscillating systems need to be excavated to meet the various application requirements. A spherical liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) balloon model driven by periodic illumination is proposed and its periodic beating is studied theoretically. Based on the existing dynamic LCE model and the ideal gas model, the governing equation of motion for the LCE balloon is established. The numerical calculations show that periodic illumination can cause periodic beating of the LCE balloon, and the beating period of the LCE balloon depends on the illumination period. For the maximum steady-state amplitude of the beating, there exists an optimum illumination period and illumination time rate. The optimal illumination period is proved to be equivalent to the natural period of balloon oscillation. The effect of system parameters on beating amplitude are also studied. The amplitude is mainly affected by light intensity, contraction coefficient, amount of gaseous substance, volume of LCE balloon, mass density, external pressure, and damping coefficient, but not the initial velocity. It is expected that the beating LCE balloon will be suitable for the design of light-powered machines including engines, prosthetic blood pumps, aircraft, and swimmers.
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36
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Li S, Lerch MM, Waters JT, Deng B, Martens RS, Yao Y, Kim DY, Bertoldi K, Grinthal A, Balazs AC, Aizenberg J. Self-regulated non-reciprocal motions in single-material microstructures. Nature 2022; 605:76-83. [PMID: 35508775 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04561-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Living cilia stir, sweep and steer via swirling strokes of complex bending and twisting, paired with distinct reverse arcs1,2. Efforts to mimic such dynamics synthetically rely on multimaterial designs but face limits to programming arbitrary motions or diverse behaviours in one structure3-8. Here we show how diverse, complex, non-reciprocal, stroke-like trajectories emerge in a single-material system through self-regulation. When a micropost composed of photoresponsive liquid crystal elastomer with mesogens aligned oblique to the structure axis is exposed to a static light source, dynamic dances evolve as light initiates a travelling order-to-disorder transition front, transiently turning the structure into a complex evolving bimorph that twists and bends via multilevel opto-chemo-mechanical feedback. As captured by our theoretical model, the travelling front continuously reorients the molecular, geometric and illumination axes relative to each other, yielding pathways composed from series of twisting, bending, photophobic and phototropic motions. Guided by the model, here we choreograph a wide range of trajectories by tailoring parameters, including illumination angle, light intensity, molecular anisotropy, microstructure geometry, temperature and irradiation intervals and duration. We further show how this opto-chemo-mechanical self-regulation serves as a foundation for creating self-organizing deformation patterns in closely spaced microstructure arrays via light-mediated interpost communication, as well as complex motions of jointed microstructures, with broad implications for autonomous multimodal actuators in areas such as soft robotics7,9,10, biomedical devices11,12 and energy transduction materials13, and for fundamental understanding of self-regulated systems14,15.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shucong Li
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael M Lerch
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - James T Waters
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bolei Deng
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Reese S Martens
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yuxing Yao
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Do Yoon Kim
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Katia Bertoldi
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alison Grinthal
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anna C Balazs
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Joanna Aizenberg
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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37
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Guillamat P, Blanch-Mercader C, Pernollet G, Kruse K, Roux A. Integer topological defects organize stresses driving tissue morphogenesis. NATURE MATERIALS 2022; 21:588-597. [PMID: 35145258 PMCID: PMC7612693 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01194-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Tissues acquire function and shape via differentiation and morphogenesis. Both processes are driven by coordinating cellular forces and shapes at the tissue scale, but general principles governing this interplay remain to be discovered. Here we report that self-organization of myoblasts around integer topological defects, namely spirals and asters, suffices to establish complex multicellular architectures. In particular, these arrangements can trigger localized cell differentiation or, alternatively, when differentiation is inhibited, they can drive the growth of swirling protrusions. Both localized differentiation and growth of cellular vortices require specific stress patterns. By analysing the experimental velocity and orientational fields through active gel theory, we show that integer topological defects can generate force gradients that concentrate compressive stresses. We reveal these gradients by assessing spatial changes in nuclear volume and deformations of elastic pillars. We propose integer topological defects as mechanical organizing centres controlling differentiation and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Guillamat
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carles Blanch-Mercader
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Karsten Kruse
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- NCCR for Chemical Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Aurélien Roux
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- NCCR for Chemical Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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38
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van Rossem M, Wilks S, Kaczmarek M, Secor PR, D’Alessandro G. Modelling of filamentous phage-induced antibiotic tolerance of P. aeruginosa. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261482. [PMID: 35404965 PMCID: PMC9000967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous molecules tend to spontaneously assemble into liquid crystalline droplets with a tactoid morphology in environments with high concentration on non-adsorbing molecules. Tactoids of filamentous Pf bacteriophage, such as those produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have been linked to increased antibiotic tolerance. We modelled this system and show that tactoids composed of filamentous Pf virions can lead to antibiotic tolerance by acting as an adsorptive diffusion barrier. The continuum model, reminiscent of descriptions of reactive diffusion in porous media, has been solved numerically and good agreement was found with the analytical results, obtained using a homogenisation approach. We find that the formation of tactoids significantly increases antibiotic diffusion times which may lead to stronger antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria van Rossem
- Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Wilks
- Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | - Malgosia Kaczmarek
- Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick R. Secor
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Giampaolo D’Alessandro
- Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
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39
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Balasubramaniam L, Mège RM, Ladoux B. Active nematics across scales from cytoskeleton organization to tissue morphogenesis. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 73:101897. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.101897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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40
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Shin MJ, Im SH, Kim W, Ahn H, Shin TJ, Chung HJ, Yoon DK. Recyclable Periodic Nanostructure Formed by Sublimable Liquid Crystals for Robust Cell Alignment. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:3765-3774. [PMID: 35302783 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c03359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a facile method to fabricate a recyclable cell-alignment scaffold using nanogrooves based on sublimable liquid crystal (LC) material. Randomly and uniaxially arranged smectic LC structures are obtained, followed by sublimation and recondensation processes, which directly produce periodic nanogrooves with dimensions of a couple of hundreds of nanometers. After treatment with osmium tetroxide (OsO4), the nanogroove can serve as a scaffold to efficiently induce directed cell growth without causing cytotoxicity, and it can be used repeatedly. Together, various cell types are applied to the nanogroove, proving the scaffold's broad applicability. Depending on the nanotopography of the LC structures, cells exhibit different morphologies and gene expression patterns, compared to cells on standard glass substrates, according to microscopic observation and qPCR. Furthermore, cell sheets can be formed, which consist of oriented cells that can be repeatedly formed and transferred to other substrates, while maintaining its organization. We believe that our cell-aligning scaffold may pave the way for the soft material field to bioengineering, which can involve fundamentals in cell behavior and function, as well as applications for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jeong Shin
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - San Hae Im
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Wantae Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyungju Ahn
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, POSTECH, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Joo Shin
- Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Devices Engineering, UNIST, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Chung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, orea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, orea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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41
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Ji Y, Yang B, Cai F, Yu H. Regulate Surface Topography of Liquid‐Crystalline Polymer by External Stimuli. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.202100418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Ji
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing 100871 P. R. China
| | - Bowen Yang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing 100871 P. R. China
| | - Feng Cai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing 100871 P. R. China
| | - Haifeng Yu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing 100871 P. R. China
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42
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Chen J, Akomolafe OI, Dhakal NP, Pujyam M, Skalli O, Jiang J, Peng C. Nematic Templated Complex Nanofiber Structures by Projection Display. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:7230-7240. [PMID: 35084814 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c20305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Oriented arrays of nanofibers are ubiquitous in nature and have been widely used in recreation of the biological functions such as bone and muscle tissue regenerations. However, it remains a challenge to produce nanofiber arrays with a complex organization by using current fabrication techniques such as electrospinning and extrusion. In this work, we propose a method to fabricate the complex organization of nanofiber structures templated by a spatially varying ordered liquid crystal host, which follows the pattern produced by a maskless projection display system. By programming the synchronization of the rotated polarizer and projected segments with different shapes, various configurations of nanofiber organization ranging from a single to two-dimensional lattice of arbitrary topological defects are created in a deterministic manner. The nanofiber arrays can effectively guide and promote neurite outgrowth. The application of nanofibers with arced profiles and topological defects on neural tissue organization is also demonstrated. This finding, combined with the versatility and programmability of nanofiber structures, suggests that they will help solve challenges in nerve repair, neural regeneration, and other related tissue engineering fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Chen
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, United States
| | - Oluwafemi Isaac Akomolafe
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, United States
| | - Netra Prasad Dhakal
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, United States
| | - Mahesh Pujyam
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, United States
| | - Omar Skalli
- Department of Biology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, United States
| | - Jinghua Jiang
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, United States
| | - Chenhui Peng
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, United States
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43
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Miyazako H, Nara T. Explicit calculation method for cell alignment in non-circular geometries. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211663. [PMID: 35116165 PMCID: PMC8767198 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The alignment of spindle-shaped cells in two-dimensional geometries induces singular points called topological defects, at which the alignment angle of the cell cannot be defined. To control defects related to biological roles such as cell apoptosis, calculation methods for predicting the defect positions are required. This study proposes an explicit calculation method for predicting cell alignment and defect positions in non-circular geometries. First, a complex potential is introduced to describe the alignment angles of cells, which is used to derive an explicit formula for cell alignment in a unit disc. Then, the derived formula for the unit disc is extended to the case for non-circular geometries using a numerical conformal mapping. Finally, the complex potential allows a calculation of the Frank elastic energy, which can be minimized with respect to the defect positions to predict their equilibrium state in the geometry. The proposed calculation method is used to demonstrate a numerical prediction of multiple defects in circular and non-circular geometries, which are consistent with previous experimental results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Miyazako
- Department of Information Physics and Computing, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takaaki Nara
- Department of Information Physics and Computing, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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44
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Abstract
Smart soft materials are envisioned to be the building blocks of the next generation of advanced devices and digitally augmented technologies. In this context, liquid crystals (LCs) owing to their responsive and adaptive attributes could serve as promising smart soft materials. LCs played a critical role in revolutionizing the information display industry in the 20th century. However, in the turn of the 21st century, numerous beyond-display applications of LCs have been demonstrated, which elegantly exploit their controllable stimuli-responsive and adaptive characteristics. For these applications, new LC materials have been rationally designed and developed. In this Review, we present the recent developments in light driven chiral LCs, i.e., cholesteric and blue phases, LC based smart windows that control the entrance of heat and light from outdoor to the interior of buildings and built environments depending on the weather conditions, LC elastomers for bioinspired, biological, and actuator applications, LC based biosensors for detection of proteins, nucleic acids, and viruses, LC based porous membranes for the separation of ions, molecules, and microbes, living LCs, and LCs under macro- and nanoscopic confinement. The Review concludes with a summary and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for LCs as smart soft materials. This Review is anticipated to stimulate eclectic ideas toward the implementation of the nature's delicate phase of matter in future generations of smart and augmented devices and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari Krishna Bisoyi
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Quan Li
- Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States.,Institute of Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Jiangsu Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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45
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Physics of liquid crystals in cell biology. Trends Cell Biol 2021; 32:140-150. [PMID: 34756501 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2021.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed a rapid growth in understanding of the pivotal roles of mechanical stresses and physical forces in cell biology. As a result, an integrated view of cell biology is evolving, where genetic and molecular features are scrutinised hand in hand with physical and mechanical characteristics of cells. Physics of liquid crystals has emerged as a burgeoning new frontier in cell biology over the past few years, fuelled by an increasing identification of orientational order and topological defects in cell biology, spanning scales from subcellular filaments to individual cells and multicellular tissues. Here, we provide an account of the most recent findings and developments, together with future promises and challenges in this rapidly evolving interdisciplinary research direction.
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46
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Rijal G. Understanding the Role of Fibroblasts following a 3D Tumoroid Implantation for Breast Tumor Formation. Bioengineering (Basel) 2021; 8:bioengineering8110163. [PMID: 34821729 PMCID: PMC8615023 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering8110163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
An understanding of the participation and modulation of fibroblasts during tumor formation and growth is still unclear. Among many speculates, one might be the technical challenge to reveal the versatile function of fibroblasts in tissue complexity, and another is the dynamics in tissue physiology and cell activity. The histology of most solid tumors shows a predominant presence of fibroblasts, suggesting that tumor cells recruit fibroblasts for breast tumor growth. In this review paper, therefore, the migration, activation, differentiation, secretion, and signaling systems that are associated with fibroblasts and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) after implantation of a breast tumoroid, i.e., a lab-generated tumor tissue into an animal, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Girdhari Rijal
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Public Health, Tarleton State University, a Member of Texas A & M University System, Fort Worth, TX 76104, USA
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47
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Xu Y, Rather AM, Yao Y, Fang JC, Mamtani RS, Bennett RKA, Atta RG, Adera S, Tkalec U, Wang X. Liquid crystal-based open surface microfluidics manipulate liquid mobility and chemical composition on demand. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabi7607. [PMID: 34597134 PMCID: PMC10938512 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi7607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The ability to control both the mobility and chemical compositions of microliter-scale aqueous droplets is an essential prerequisite for next-generation open surface microfluidics. Independently manipulating the chemical compositions of aqueous droplets without altering their mobility, however, remains challenging. In this work, we address this challenge by designing a class of open surface microfluidic platforms based on thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs). We demonstrate, both experimentally and theoretically, that the unique positional and orientational order of LC molecules intrinsically decouple cargo release functionality from droplet mobility via selective phase transitions. Furthermore, we build sodium sulfide–loaded LC surfaces that can efficiently precipitate heavy metal ions in sliding water droplets to final concentration less than 1 part per million for more than 500 cycles without causing droplets to become pinned. Overall, our results reveal that LC surfaces offer unique possibilities for the design of novel open surface fluidic systems with orthogonal functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Adil M. Rather
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yuxing Yao
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jen-Chun Fang
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Rajdeep S. Mamtani
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Robert K. A. Bennett
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Richard G. Atta
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Solomon Adera
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Uroš Tkalec
- Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koroška 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Xiaoguang Wang
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Sustainability Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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48
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Cell instructive Liquid Crystalline Networks for myotube formation. iScience 2021; 24:103077. [PMID: 34568797 PMCID: PMC8449234 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of biological tissues in vitro is not a trivial task and requires the correct maturation of the selected cell line. To this aim, many attempts were done mainly by mimicking the biological environment using micro/nanopatterned or stimulated scaffolds. However, the obtainment of functional tissues in vitro is still far from being achieved. In contrast with the standard methods, we here present an easy approach for the maturation of myotubes toward the reproduction of muscular tissue. By using liquid crystalline networks with different stiffness and molecular alignment, we demonstrate how the material itself can give favorable interactions with myoblasts helping a correct differentiation. Electrophysiological studies demonstrate that myotubes obtained on these polymers have more adult-like morphology and better functional features with respect to those cultured on standard supports. The study opens to a platform for the differentiation of other cell lines in a simple and scalable way.
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49
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Endresen KD, Kim M, Pittman M, Chen Y, Serra F. Topological defects of integer charge in cell monolayers. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:5878-5887. [PMID: 33710239 PMCID: PMC8220479 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00100k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Many cell types spontaneously order like nematic liquid crystals, and, as such, they form topological defects, which influence the cell organization. While defects with topological charge ±1/2 are common in cell monolayers, defects with charge ±1, which are thought to be relevant in the formation of protrusions in living systems, are more elusive. We use topographical patterns to impose topological charge of ±1 in controlled locations in cell monolayers. We study two types of cells, 3T6 fibroblasts and EpH-4 epithelial cells, and we compare their behavior on such patterns, characterizing the degree of alignment, the cell density near the defects, and their behavior at the defect core. We observe density variation in the 3T6 monolayers near both types of defects over the same length-scale. By choosing appropriate geometrical parameters of our topographical features, we identify a new behavior of 3T6 cells near the defects with topological charge +1, leading to a change in the cells' preferred shape. Our strategy allows a fine control of cell alignment near defects as a platform to study liquid crystalline properties of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - MinSu Kim
- Johns Hopkins University, Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Baltimore, USA.
| | - Matthew Pittman
- Johns Hopkins University, Dept. Mechanical Engineering, Baltimore, USA
| | - Yun Chen
- Johns Hopkins University, Dept. Mechanical Engineering, Baltimore, USA
| | - Francesca Serra
- Johns Hopkins University, Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Baltimore, USA.
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50
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Lu H, Zou Z, Wu X, Shi C, Liu Y, Xiao J. Biomimetic Prosthetic Hand Enabled by Liquid Crystal Elastomer Tendons. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:736. [PMID: 34201506 PMCID: PMC8306406 DOI: 10.3390/mi12070736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
As one of the most important prosthetic implants for amputees, current commercially available prosthetic hands are still too bulky, heavy, expensive, complex and inefficient. Here, we present a study that utilizes the artificial tendon to drive the motion of fingers in a biomimetic prosthetic hand. The artificial tendon is realized by combining liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) and liquid metal (LM) heating element. A joule heating-induced temperature increase in the LCE tendon leads to linear contraction, which drives the fingers of the biomimetic prosthetic hand to bend in a way similar to the human hand. The responses of the LCE tendon to joule heating, including temperature increase, contraction strain and contraction stress, are characterized. The strategies of achieving a constant contraction stress in an LCE tendon and accelerating the cooling for faster actuation are also explored. This biomimetic prosthetic hand is demonstrated to be able to perform complex tasks including making different hand gestures, holding objects of different sizes and shapes, and carrying weights. The results can find applications in not only prosthetics, but also robots and soft machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqing Lu
- College of Mechanical Electrical and Vehicle Engineering, Weifang University, Weifang 261061, China;
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (Z.Z.); (X.W.); (C.S.); (Y.L.)
| | - Zhanan Zou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (Z.Z.); (X.W.); (C.S.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xingli Wu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (Z.Z.); (X.W.); (C.S.); (Y.L.)
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang 110870, China
| | - Chuanqian Shi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (Z.Z.); (X.W.); (C.S.); (Y.L.)
- School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yimeng Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (Z.Z.); (X.W.); (C.S.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jianliang Xiao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (Z.Z.); (X.W.); (C.S.); (Y.L.)
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