Guidance of cellular nematic elastomers into shape-programmable living surfaces

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Guillamat, Pau; Mirza, Waleed; Bal, Pradeep K.; Gomez-Gonzalez, Manuel; Roca-Cusachs, Pere; Arroyo, Marino; Trepat, Xavier
• 署名单位: University of Barcelona; Barcelona Institute of Science & Technology; Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya; European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL); Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya; University of Barcelona; Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya; Centre Internacional de Metodes Numerics en Enginyeria (CIMNE); ICREA
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adz9174
• 发表日期: 2026-04-16
• 页码: 317-323
• 关键词: ONSAGERS VARIATIONAL PRINCIPLE; topological defects; generation; monolayers; epithelia; DYNAMICS; matrix

摘要

Engineering living materials that autonomously morph into predetermined shapes holds potential for synthetic morphogenesis and soft robotics. Harnessing cellular tissues to self-organize and generate forces offers a promising route toward this goal. However, controlling tissue mechanics to direct morphogenesis remains challenging. We introduce a strategy to program tissue-shape transformations through nematic organization of cellular forces. By controlling nematic order and topological defects, we generate tissues programmed with specific stress fields. Using a theoretical framework coupling contractile nematics with thin-sheet mechanics, we show that nematically guided active stresses can drive morphogenesis through Gaussian morphing. Experimentally, detachment of nematic tissues triggers out-of-plane deformations, generating reproducible three-dimensional shapes. Integrating contractility and nematic patterning, our approach establishes a framework for designing shape-programmable living surfaces.