What is the Context of this Research?

• In the past, human-made objects were mostly created from materials that didn’t change or act on their own. These were static materials that didn’t “think” or “move” on their own.
• Now, with advancements in biotechnology, we have the opportunity to use living cells as building materials. This is very different from traditional materials because living cells were once independent organisms with their own behavior.
• Living cells are referred to as “agential matter” because they can make decisions and solve problems. Engineers can now design things by leveraging these unique abilities of living cells, much like evolution has used them to create complex organisms.

What Are Agential Materials?

• Agential materials are living cells that act on their own—they make decisions, communicate with each other, and react to stimuli. This is different from the regular materials we use, like metals, plastic, or glass, which don’t “think” on their own.
• Cells in agential materials can work together in large groups, much like a team, and solve problems or perform tasks. This collective behavior is something that engineers can control and use to their advantage.

Why is Building with Agential Matter Different?

• Building with agential matter is more complex than working with traditional materials. Since cells can make decisions and behave in different ways, engineers need to find ways to control their behavior.
• One approach is called “top-down control,” where engineers give signals to influence how cells behave. This is like giving instructions to a group of workers to guide what they should do.
• Another approach is “bottom-up reconfiguration,” where engineers manipulate the molecules inside the cells to change how they behave. This is like changing the tools or equipment the workers use to do their tasks.

What Are the Challenges of Using Agential Materials?

• Living cells can sometimes behave unpredictably, which makes them hard to control. Engineers need to manage the way cells work together to achieve a specific goal, which can be tricky.
• Agential materials require new, advanced engineering methods that go beyond traditional techniques. Current biological research often focuses on breaking things down into smaller pieces, but this doesn’t always work when trying to build complex systems with living cells.

What Are the Opportunities with Agential Materials?

• Agential materials offer incredible opportunities for fields like engineering, regenerative medicine, and robotics. By designing systems that use living cells as building blocks, we can create innovative solutions that were not possible with traditional materials.
• For example, agential materials could be used in regenerative medicine to grow new tissues or organs. They could also be used in robots that can heal themselves or adapt to changing environments.

What Are the Potential Applications of Agential Materials?

• Agential materials can be used in various fields, such as:
  • Tissue engineering: Growing living tissues for medical purposes.
  • Biological robotics: Creating robots that are made of living cells and can adapt to their environment.
  • Engineered living materials: Building materials that have life-like properties, such as the ability to self-repair or grow.

How Can Scientists Contribute to this Research?

• Scientists can contribute by:
  • Demonstrating new applications of agential materials in areas like tissue engineering and biological robotics.
  • Developing methods to better work with agential materials, going beyond the current state of biotechnology.
  • Reporting on experiments that show the limits of these materials and processes.
• Scientists can also contribute by creating frameworks or tools to better understand the behavior of cells and molecular networks, which is key to working with agential materials.

What Are the Key Challenges and Barriers?

• One challenge is understanding how cells communicate and behave as a group. Cells can work together in complex ways, but scientists need to figure out how to control this behavior effectively.
• Another challenge is the education, legislation, and industrial barriers that prevent the widespread use of agential materials. Researchers need to work with industries and policymakers to overcome these obstacles and make this technology more accessible.

主要研究方向（背景）

• 过去，人类制造的物品大多是由静态的、不变的材料构成的。这些材料是没有“思想”或“运动”能力的。
• 现在，随着生物技术的进步，我们有机会使用活细胞作为建筑材料。这与传统材料非常不同，因为活细胞曾经是独立的生物体，具有自己的行为。
• 活细胞被称为“行为性物质”，因为它们能够做出决策并解决问题。工程师现在可以利用活细胞的独特能力来设计物品，就像进化利用这些能力创造复杂的生物体一样。

什么是行为性物质？

• 行为性物质是指具有自我行动能力的活细胞，它们能够做出决策、相互通信并对刺激做出反应。这与我们常用的金属、塑料或玻璃等不“思考”的材料不同。
• 行为性物质中的细胞能够像团队一样协同工作，并解决问题或执行任务。这种集体行为是工程师可以控制并加以利用的。

为什么使用行为性物质建造物品与传统材料不同？

• 使用行为性物质建造物品比使用传统材料更复杂。由于细胞能够做出决策并表现出不同的行为，工程师需要找到控制这些行为的方法。
• 一种方法是“自上而下的控制”，即工程师发出信号来影响细胞的行为。这就像是给一组工人指示，指导他们应该做什么。
• 另一种方法是“自下而上的重构”，即工程师通过改变细胞内的分子来改变它们的行为。这就像是改变工人使用的工具或设备。

使用行为性物质的挑战是什么？

• 活细胞有时会表现出不可预测的行为，这使得它们难以控制。工程师需要管理细胞如何协作工作，以实现特定的目标，这可能会很棘手。
• 行为性物质需要新的先进工程方法，这些方法超出了传统技术的范畴。当前的生物学研究通常专注于将事物分解为更小的部分，但当试图使用活细胞构建复杂系统时，这种方法并不总是有效。

行为性物质的机会是什么？

• 行为性物质为工程学、再生医学和机器人技术等领域提供了前所未有的机会。通过设计使用活细胞作为构建块的系统，我们可以创造出传统材料无法实现的创新解决方案。
• 例如，行为性物质可以用于再生医学，用于生长新的组织或器官。它们还可以用于能够自我修复或适应环境变化的机器人。

行为性物质的潜在应用是什么？

• 行为性物质可以在多个领域中使用，例如：
  • 组织工程：用于医疗目的生长活组织。
  • 生物机器人：创建由活细胞组成并能够适应环境的机器人。
  • 工程活材料：构建具有生命特性的材料，如能够自我修复或生长的能力。

科学家如何为此研究做出贡献？

• 科学家可以通过以下方式做出贡献：
  • 展示行为性物质的新应用，例如在组织工程和生物机器人领域。
  • 开发更好地使用行为性物质的方法，超越当前生物技术的状态。
  • 报告显示这些材料和过程的极限的实验。
• 科学家还可以通过创建框架或工具，帮助更好地理解细胞和分子网络的行为，这对与行为性物质的工作至关重要。

关键挑战和障碍是什么？

• 一个挑战是理解细胞如何作为一个群体进行沟通和表现。细胞可以以复杂的方式协同工作，但科学家需要弄清楚如何有效地控制这种行为。
• 另一个挑战是教育、立法和工业障碍，这些障碍阻碍了行为性物质的广泛使用。研究人员需要与工业界和政策制定者合作，克服这些障碍，使这种技术更加普及。