title: A biochemical network can control formation of a synthetic material by sensing numerous specific stimuli.
abstract: Developing bio-compatible smart materials that assemble in response to environmental cues requires strategies that can discriminate multiple specific stimuli in a complex milieu. Synthetic materials have yet to achieve this level of sensitivity, which would emulate the highly evolved and tailored reaction networks of complex biological systems. Here we show that the output of a naturally occurring network can be replaced with a synthetic material. Exploiting the blood coagulation system as an exquisite biological sensor, the fibrin clot end-product was replaced with a synthetic material under the biological control of a precisely regulated cross-linking enzyme. The functions of the coagulation network remained intact when the material was incorporated. Clot-like polymerization was induced in indirect response to distinct small molecules, phospholipids, enzymes, cells, viruses, an inorganic solid, a polyphenol, a polysaccharide, and a membrane protein. This strategy demonstrates for the first time that an existing stimulus-responsive biological network can be used to control the formation of a synthetic material by diverse classes of physiological triggers.
authors.affiliation: Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Ju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hun Yeon
authors.affiliation: Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Karen Y T
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Ting-Chia
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Kelvin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: 1] Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Vancouver, BC, Canada [2] Centre for Blood Research and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Rustem F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ismagilov
authors.affiliation: 1] Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Vancouver, BC, Canada [2] Centre for Blood Research and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Edward L G
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Pryzdial
authors.affiliation: Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kastrup
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000378:metabolism*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D005337:Fibrin / Q000737:chemistry; D058105:Polymerization; D058615:Synthetic Biology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005337:Fibrin