Cell-Based Composite Materials with Programmed Structures and Functions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016208238-A1
Application number	US-201614996048-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 25, 2012
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is directed to the use of silicic acid to transform biological materials, including cellular architecture into inorganic materials to provide biocomposites (nanomaterials) with stabilized structure and function. In the present invention, there has been discovered a means to stabilize the structure and function of biological materials, including cells, biomolecules, peptides, proteins (especially including enzymes), lipids, lipid vesicles, polysaccharides, cytoskeletal filaments, tissue and organs with silicic acid such that these materials may be used as biocomposites. In many instances, these materials retain their original biological activity and may be used in harsh conditions which would otherwise destroy the integrity of the biological material. In certain instances, these biomaterials may be storage stable for long periods of time and reconstituted after storage to return the biological material back to its original form. In addition, by exposing an entire cell to form CSCs, the CSCs may function to provide a unique system to study enzymes or a cascade of enzymes which are otherwise unavailable.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method to synthesize cell/silica composites (CSCs), comprising incubating a plurality of cells in a silicic acid solution to provide cell/silica composite particles.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells comprises mammalian cells, prokaryotic cells, plant cells, cultured cells, tissue, or biological organism.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells is genetically, chemically, or physically modified.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising fixing the plurality of cells in a fixative prior to the incubating step.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the silicic acid solution is osmotically balanced.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising plating the plurality of cells on a substrate prior to the incubating step.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising patterning the plurality of cells on a surface prior to the incubating step.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells are suspended in the silicic acid solution.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising dehydrating the cell/silica composite particles to provide monodisperse cell/silica composite particles.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the silicic acid solution comprises tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, or a mixture thereof.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising calcinating the cell/silica composite particles at an elevated temperature to provide silica replicas.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the elevated temperature is greater than 500° C.

13 . The method of claim 11 further comprising reconstituting a cellular function on the silica replicas.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising pyrolyzing the cell-silica composite particles at a high temperature in an inert atmosphere to provide carbonized-cell/silica composite particles.

15 . A population of CSCs which are produced by a method according to claim 1 .

16 . The population of CSCs according to claim 15 which is storage stable.

17 . A cell/silica composite (CSC) comprising a transformed cell, which further comprises a silicon dioxide coating onto a structure which is found in said cell.

18 . The CSC of claim 17 , wherein the coating is a conformal coating.

19 . The CSC of claim 17 , further comprising a preserved shape and/or feature, as compared to the original cell.

20 . The CSC of claim 17 , wherein the CSC is dehydrated and/or calcined.

Assignees

• Sandia Corp
• Stc Unm

Inventors

• Kaehr Bryan J
• Brinker C Jeffrey
• Townson Jason L

Classifications

• G01N1/2806 Primary

  Means for preparing replicas of specimens, e.g. for microscopal analysis · CPC title

• C08K3/36

  Silica · CPC title

• G01N1/2853

  Shadowing samples · CPC title

• C12N11/14 Primary

  Enzymes or microbial cells immobilised on or in an inorganic carrier · CPC title