Synthetic Plant-Cell Inspired Osmosis Driven Actuators

Spitzer, Alexandra

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/114289 Copy

Description

Title

Synthetic Plant-Cell Inspired Osmosis Driven Actuators

Author(s)

Spitzer, Alexandra

Issue Date

2022

Keyword(s)

• Materials Science
• Engineering

Abstract

Plants have a remarkably efficient method of actuation, or stimulus driven motion, that occurs without the aid of muscle. This motion is controlled by water flow in and out of plant cells, and the collective swelling of plant cells in plant tissues. One example of such plant motion is a dehydrated plant slowly rising and pushing upward against gravity, to stand tall, after being watered. This water flow is controlled by a process known as osmosis, where water flows across a selectively permeable plant cell membrane to dilute plant cell solutions with high salt particle concentrations, which occurs when plant cells are less hydrated. My research aims to mimic this process with the fabrication of synthetic plant cells. This image, taken on an optical microscope, shows individual synthetic plant cells made from silicone, with salt water encapsulated into each chamber, bulging at 3, 15, and 24 hours after being submerged in pure water. Understanding the deformations these synthetic plant-inspired devices exhibit in hydrated environments, will help inform the development of soft tissue casts, or soft devices that can apply tunable forces in hydrated environments in the human body, to aid in healing soft tissue wounds.

Type of Resource

• Text
• Image

Language

eng

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/114289

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 Alexandra Spitzer

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