Thermofluidic Engineering: Programmable Assembling Multicellular Structures (TE-PAMS) of biohybrid materials

The proposed research aims to develop an innovative biocompatible thermal tweezer (Bio-TT) technique for the design of multi-scale, hierarchical biomaterials, including cells, organoids, artificial cells and hydrogels, to meet multiple performance criteria (e.g., dynamic assembly, multi-scale manipulation, and standardised control). To this end, a programmable design concept will be introduced, integrating a novel TT particle manipulation method with functionalised artificial cellular materials, specifically tailored for engineered living materials (ELMs). This proposal will, for the first time, address several technical challenges in the fabrication of ELMs, such as the versatility of multi-scale active materials, precise spatialtemporal manipulation, as well as issues of automation and standardisation in the ELMs assembley process. The applicant, in collaboration with the teams at Cardiff University, will deliver internationally recognised knowledge and techniques in the fields of biomaterials, fluid dynamics, synthetic biology engineering, tiisue engineering, and hybrid living mateirlas.