Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 3, 2025

Using Synthetic Biology to Engineer Living Cells That Interface with Programmable Materials
Published on: March 9, 2017
Navigating the Biological-Material Interface with the Guide of Chemical Biology
1Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
Abstract:
Research at the biological-material interface often has translation in mind, with applications in medical implants, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine. While the clinical impact of this research is undeniable, a clearer picture of the in vivo behavior of materials is needed to address longstanding limitations in performance and function. Advances in chemical biology and biotechnology have propelled our understanding of how small molecules and biologics behave in living systems. Adapting these techniques to the study of synthetic materials, enabled by modern polymer chemistry, will bring molecular resolution to biological-material interactions and guide the development of next-generation biomaterials for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Related Concept Videos
Synthetic Biology
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
Chemotaxis in E. coli
Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Primary Active Transport
Chemical Signaling in the Endocrine System
Lipid-soluble hormones, such as steroid hormones, demonstrate an intracellular action. These hormones traverse cell membranes due to their lipid nature. Once inside the target cell, they...

