Biological Engineering and Biomaterials
Imagine a time when fuel comes from a renewable, non-polluting resource. Or when drinking from a plastic bottle doesn?t contribute to the decline of the earth?s environment. Seem unlikely? At USU, biological engineers are working with life scientists to learn how to control, mimic, and reproduce living processes for the enhancement of human health and the environment. This means the development of biologically-based products for toxic clean-up, breakthrough medical treatments, and the replacement of petroleum-based products used for fuel and plastics.
Why this research is important
Combining the disciplines of biology, engineering, and materials science creates a powerful platform for discovering interrelationships between these fields of science. These united disciplines create an integrated approach for understanding our world?s living processes. Scientists at USU are using this novel approach to redesign plants, animals, and microbes that provide unique solutions for agricultural and environmental sustainability.
Dramatic and tangible results of this research will allow professionals charged with environmental clean-up to remotely study a contaminated area and avoid personal exposure. Next, a combination of plant and microbial products can be used to remediate the site, providing a treatment that is biologically safe for the environment, animals, and people. The implications of this research will benefit a broad spectrum of society. For instance, USU scientists are already leveraging the tools in these environmental approaches to develop concepts that are relevant for the care and treatment of humans in the medical realm.
What is biological engineering?
Biological engineering integrates life sciences with engineering principles to create advanced materials for biologically-based products, but designed and used by humans. These principles scale from the molecular level, to an entire ecosystem. USU has chosen to apply this integrated science in the areas of ecological remediation, decreased dependence on petroleum products, agricultural sustainability, and human health.
Scientific Perspective
Utah State University biological engineers are utilizing advanced tools in microbial genomics, metabolomics, and cellular communication. These approaches are combined with chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering to design biological processes to model, predicate, and improve processes that are commonly accomplished in bioreactors. This research provides a springboard for discovery of new and unique principles for developing the earth?s sustainability. These same principles are being used to produce medical, environmental, and industrial products that are safe for animals and humans.
Topical Overview
Bioprocesses for production of biofuels
Biofuels are biologically produced molecules that can serve as renewable energy sources. These compounds will be produced in bio-refineries in the future. We are utilizing microbial systems for the production of methane and hydrogen from agricultural and industrial waste. Anaerobic, acid-phase fermentation is being used to produce hydrogen from wastewater. Efficient and less expensive processes for cellulase production from animal waste and the conversion of methane to produce electricity are key research areas. Production of biofuels through improved bioprocessing and genomics is rapidly expanding.
Biosensors research, design, & development
Biosensors are designed and manipulated based on biological molecules (e.g., DNA hybridization or whole bacteria) to interface with whole cells causing an electrical, acoustic, chemical, or photonic signal that can be used for remote detection of toxic chemicals. For example, Pseudomonas putida was engineered to contain lux for the detection of toxic metals. Additionally, genetic sensors for the detection of microbes with dioxygenase genes to degrade carcinogenic polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are in development.
Sustainable design of bioenvironmental systems
Biological treatment of natural terrestrial, aquatic, and ground water systems adversely impacted through natural or man-made contamination is important at USU. As such, the use of genomics for the discovery of trichloroethylene (TCE)-metabolizing microorganisms in ground water at toxic waste sites and terrestrial remediation systems are priorities at USU. Novel distribution methods of carcinogen-degrading microbes throughout a contaminated soil area for efficient and inexpensive renovation is underway. We are utilizing infrared spectroscopic and a very bright, nondestructive synchrotron photon source to measure the role of humic acids on carcinogen degradation by Mycobacteria. Designing plant-soil living systems for the assimilation of industrial and municipal toxins is a parallel line of research to reduce environmental toxins.
Bioactive surface and tissue engineering
The goals of smart surface research are to develop models of interfacial processes governing materials biocompatibility, and to design protein-resistant surfaces for use as tissue engineering scaffolds. The development of new biomaterials and drug delivery systems in tissue research is actively expanding at USU. Research is specifically directed towards biodegradable heart stents to reduce restenosis. The stents are loaded with therapeutic agents to actively change the biological interactions between blood cells and inflammation factors. Some compounds also inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation. Production of bio-plastic materials from biodegradable polymers for replacement of diseased organs and for controlled release systems to deliver drugs to combat serious diseases are becoming a reality. We are creating nanoscale Sol Gel membranes to monitor protein adsorption and recognition using sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFS) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). This is focused on inhibiting protein and platelet adsorption on bioprosthetic surfaces for development of biocompatible biomaterials such as vascular grafts, stents, and heart valves. Other research is underway to use hydrophilic polymer coatings to reduce non-specific protein and platelet adsorption.