Materiomics: An ‐omics Approach to Biomaterials Research

Abstract

The past fifty years have seen a surge in the use of materials for clinical application, but in order to understand and exploit their full potential, the scientific complexity at both sides of the interface--the material on the one hand and the living organism on the other hand--needs to be considered. Technologies such as combinatorial chemistry, recombinant DNA as well as computational multi-scale methods can generate libraries with a very large number of material properties whereas on the other side, the body will respond to them depending on the biological context. Typically, biological systems are investigated using both holistic and reductionist approaches such as whole genome expression profiling, systems biology and high throughput genetic or compound screening, as already seen, for example, in pharmacology and genetics. The field of biomaterials research is only beginning to develop and adopt these approaches, an effort which we refer to as "materiomics". In this review, we describe the current status of the field, and its past and future impact on the biomedical sciences. We outline how materiomics sets the stage for a transformative change in the approach to biomaterials research to enable the design of tailored and functional materials for a variety of properties in fields as diverse as tissue engineering, disease diagnosis and de novo materials design, by combining powerful computational modelling and screening with advanced experimental techniques.

Compliant threads maximize spider silk connection strength and toughness

“…Advancements have been made in both the understanding of the natural function of biological materials and systems (i.e. protein-based materials [3]), as well as the synthesis and regeneration of certain tissues (such as collagen and bone [5]). In particular, spider silk and webs are fascinating examples of natural structural engineering essential for an animal's survival [6,7].…”

Materiomics for Oral Disease Diagnostics and Personal Health Monitoring: Designer Biomaterials for the Next Generation Biomarkers

“…The interface of materials science (''synthetic'') and biology (''life'') has been successful in the development of new biomaterials, but recent technological advancements (''technology''-computational capabilities, experimental methods such as AFM, and imaging techniques such as NMR) allow for a truly integrated and holistic approach. Image reproduced with permission from Cranford et al (2013). sensitive, etc., such that biomaterials research encompasses all forms of biocompatible and biomedical materials, as well as biomimetic and bio-inspired systems (Meyers et al, 2008;2011;Ruys, 2013;Sionkowska, 2011).…”

“…Materiomics takes a materials science perspective towards complex biological systems, explicitly accounting for feedback loops that link functional requirements (and changes thereof) to altered material components and structures, at different scales in both time and length. It overcomes the barrier that currently separates the understanding at different length and time-scales, through the development of new experimental synthesis and characterization methods, novel model systems, and an enhanced appreciation for a multi-scale view of materials in general, in order to fully understand multi-scale or cross-scale interactions of the materiome (Cranford and Buehler, 2012).…”

“…It examines links between physiochemical material properties and material characteristics and functions, particularly in biological roles-a paradigm similar to systems biology Cranford and Buehler, 2010;Cranford et al, 2013). Simply put, materiomics rigorously attempts to map the possible interaction space of material combinations.…”

“…Such fields are typically characterized by general systems (such as genomics for genes or proteomics for proteins) or processes (e.g., transcriptomics for genetic transcription or interactomics for cellular interactions). Omics technologies offer a system-wide approach to discover novel diagnostics and biomarkers for personal health monitoring (Arafah et al, 2014;Gu and Sivanandam, 2014;Pawar et al, 2014), while the new emerging field of materiomics forges innovative bridges between omics systems science and materials science (Cranford and Buehler, 2010;Cranford et al, 2013). Materiomics can be conceptualized as the convergence of materials science, biological science, and technological advancements (encompassing computational methods and experimental tests) (Fig.…”