The development of a skeletal muscle bio-actuator using 3-D stereolithography

Over the past decade, a new scientific discipline has emerged, integrating mechanics with biology to create complex engineered living systems. The building blocks – different cell types in an instructive environment – can be assembled in various ways to promote the emergence (or natural evolution and interaction) of the cells in a system with well-defined functionality. These functions could include sensing, information processing, protein expression, and actuation, among countless others. This Thesis presents a novel cellular system capable of actuation and fabricated using cells and hydrogels. A stereolithographic 3D printing technique (SLA) was used to create a hydrogel backbone made of a beam connecting two pillars that supports a muscle strip created from skeletal muscle cells in a fibrin-based matrix. The entire device is termed a “bio-bot,” or biological robot. Contraction of the cells within the muscle strip produced enough force to move the pillars and displace the bio-bot on a surface in a liquid medium. This Thesis is focused on the development and characterization (mechanical and biological) of the skeletal muscle-based biological actuator. The use of the SLA allowed for easy modifications of the polymerized part’s geometry and material properties. Increasing the energy dose of polymerization produced a stiffer beam that restricted bending and increased the passive tension in the muscle strip. 15-19 days after cell seeding, the bio-bots displayed spontaneous contraction that resulted in a net displacement of up to ~6 mm in 10 minutes. During this time span, a maximum velocity of over 1890 μm/min was achieved. Future plans are focused on controlling the activity of the bio-bot using optogenetics.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Bioengineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Cvetkovic, Caroline

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bashir, Rashid

• skeletal muscle
• bio-actuator
• stereolithography

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Caroline Elizabeth Cvetkovic

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44448

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F44448