CELL RESEARCH
·
2025
·
IF 25.9
Qin Rui,Zhang Yong,Shi Jiawei,Wu Peng,An Chenyi,Li Zhenhai,Liu Nuo,Wan Ziyan,Hua Ting,Li Xiaolong,Lou Jizhong,Yin Weiwei,Chen Wei
Naturally evolved T-cell receptors (TCRs) exhibit remarkably high specificity in discriminating non-self antigens from self-antigens under dynamic biomechanical modulation. In contrast, engineered high-affinity TCRs often lose this specificity, leading to cross-reactivity with self-antigens and off-target toxicity. The underlying mechanism for this difference remains unclear. Our study reveals that natural TCRs exploit mechanical force to form optimal catch bonds with their cognate antigens. This process relies on a mechanically flexible TCR–pMHC binding interface, which enables force-enhanced CD8 coreceptor binding to MHC-α 1 α 2 domains through sequential conformational changes induced by force in both the MHC and CD8. Conversely, engineered high-affinity TCRs create rigid, tightly bound interfaces with cognate pMHCs of their parental TCRs. This rigidity prevents the force-induced conformational changes necessary for optimal catch-bond formation. Paradoxically, these high-affinity TCRs can form moderate catch bonds with non-stimulatory pMHCs of their parental TCRs, leading to off-target cross-reactivity and reduced specificity. We have also developed comprehensive force-dependent TCR–pMHC kinetics-function maps capable of distinguishing functional and non-functional TCR–pMHC pairs and identifying toxic, cross-reactive TCRs. These findings elucidate the mechano-chemical basis of the specificity of natural TCRs and highlight the critical role of CD8 in targeting cognate antigens. This work provides valuable insights for engineering TCRs with enhanced specificity and potency against non-self antigens, particularly for applications in cancer immunotherapy and infectious disease treatment, while minimizing the risk of self-antigen cross-reactivity.
研究领域:
免疫学
·
细胞生物学
·
生物力学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Central South University
·
2022
·Vol. 29
·期 6
·1778-1787
·
IF 2.392
Zhang Hao,He Qing-song,Tian Cheng-bo,Wu Yu-wei,Zhao Ze-fang,Yu Min
Inspired by the microstructure of gecko’s toe, two kinds of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gels with different modulus were poured on a silicon mold with micropillars, and then a bio-inspired adhesive with variable modulus was manufactured in this study. The adhesions of variable modulus and fixed modulus bio-inspired adhesives were tested, respectively, on a smooth glass and a printed circuit board (PCB) with different surface structures. The results show that PVC gel bio-inspired adhesives with variable modulus have many advantages compared with the fixed modulus bio-inspired adhesives. The adhesion of variable modulus bio-inspired adhesives on the rough PCB surface increased by 2–5 times, and due to the use of variable modulus of PVC gel, the surface micropillars can maintain high aspect ratio and flexible tips at the same time. Moreover, the use of PVC gel makes it easier to demold during the bio-inspired adhesives preparation. An adhesion-desorption device was made according to the movement of the gecko toes, and the PCB was successfully grasped.
研究领域:
材料科学
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仿生学
·
生物工程
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产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Chemistry-An Asian Journal
·
2023
·Vol. 18
·期 15
·e202300340
·
IF 4.1
Xinyuhang Zhang,Wei Liao,Yunpeng Wang,Zhongqiang Yang
Graphical A compressible and omnidirectional gripper is constructed using a liquid crystal elastomer foam rod. The compressed gripper enters a slit and grasps and moves hot objects to a safe place, demonstrating its potential for emergency disposal. The reported simple design for gripper construction can enhance the functions of soft robots. Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are considered to be a promising material for the fabrication of soft grippers because of their large and reversible deformations, an LCE gripper with suitable compressibility and omnidirectionality has not yet been developed. To overcome these obstacles, this study utilizes salt template method to fabricate a rod-like LCE foam as gripper. The thickness of the compressible foam can be reduced by up to 77%, temporarily maintaining the deformation and enabling the gripper to pass through slits. The foam was aligned along the long axis and the length of the foam exhibits reversible thermal responsiveness and contract up to 57% along its alignment. Additionally, when the foam approaches a heat source, the generated temperature gradient results in a contraction gradient owing to the low thermal conductivity of the LCE foam. This in turn causes the foam to reversibly bend with a bending angle up to 93° and follow the movement of a heat source omnidirectionally. The developed gripper successfully grasps, moves, and releases hot objects in a cold and safe place, demonstrating its potential for emergency disposal. Thus, LCE foams can be considered suitable materials for novel gripper design and construction.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
软体机器人学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
·
2025
·
IF 5.4
Xiangyu Teng,Shengkun Xu,Xuehao Feng,Zhizheng Gao,Zhixing Ge,Bentao Zou,Wenguang Yang
The movement patterns of diverse organisms inspire the design of flexible actuators. We hypothesized that mimicking biological structures could endow soft robots with versatile functions. In this research, we engineered a biomimetic light - driven swimming soft robot. By emulating the mechanics of boat paddles and elephant trunks, we developed a flexible paddle and a dexterous gripper. This enables the robot to effectively grasp and transport small objects. We further hypothesized that introducing molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) into hydrogels could render them photoresponsive. We successfully created a temperature sensitive, photoresponsive composite hydrogel. Its volume can be precisely controlled through light exposure, mimicking the contraction and relaxation of muscles. The paddling motion and gripping functions of the bionic gripper are achieved by modulating the irradiation with Near-Infrared (NIR) light. This study offers significant insights into the development of light-driven soft robotic systems.
研究领域:
软体机器人
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材料科学
·
仿生学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
·
2022
·
IF 4.855
Liu Yang,Jiaqi Miao,Gen Li,Hao Ren,Tieshan Zhang,Dong Guo,Yifeng Tang,Wanfeng Shang,Yajing Shen
Recently, insect-scale soft robots have received increasing attentions for diverse applications owing to their ability to access hard-to-reach areas. However, most of them are composed of non-degradable materials like PDMS and silicone rubbers, and such chemical inertness may become an obstacle for future clinical applications where tunable material properties or degradation abilities are required. Here, we present a small-scale soft robot from a magnetic gelatin hydrogel, whose mechanical properties can be easily tuned through one-step Hofmeister effected-assisted reaction. Moreover, the robot is designed with insect claw-like legged structure, allowing it to perform grasping and cargo transportation tasks as its non-degradable counterparts. The degradation and controlled delivery ability of the robot are also demonstrated to show the advantages of magnetic hydrogels over non-degradable polymers. Our study provides an alternative for the tunable and degradable millirobot construction with an effective manipulation ability and promotes the applications of millirobot in biomedical sceneries.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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材料科学
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机器人学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Smart Materials and Structures
·
2023
·Vol. 32
·期 5
·055016
·
IF 4.1
Qinyang Fan,Chenguang Niu,Jian Tang,Xiaoyan Xiong,Jibao Guo
Soft bistable actuators that exhibit flexibility, fast response, and low energy consumption are key components for applications such as fast grippers, shape reconfiguration actuators, and deployable soft robots. Inspired by the structure of rhododendron leaves, we designed a bistable dielectric elastomer actuator (BDEA) by integrating a dielectric elastomer with a low-melting-point alloy. The developed BDEA can operate reversibly between two stable states through the synergistic application and control of high voltage and Joule heating. The transition process between the two stable states of the actuator was elucidated using finite element analysis. The bending angles of the actuator in the two deformation directions were measured, and grasping experiments were performed. The experimental results show that the direction and magnitude of deformation of the bistable actuator can be tuned to conform to the shape of the target object. The developed BDEA has enhanced shape adaptability and higher bearing capacity compared to conventional soft actuators.
研究领域:
材料科学
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仿生学
·
软体机器人
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
·
2023
·
IF 8.6
Shan Ye,Wenjing Ma,Guodong Fu
The bilayer hydrogel actuators have attracted extensive attention for their unique stimulus-responsive properties. Most of the current research studies only focused on changing the constituent materials of two layers in the fixed bilayer structure to enhance the responsive deformability of bilayer hydrogels without involving the exploration on a structural level, which limited its further development. In this study, we proposed a novel bilayer-co-gradient structure constructed via a simple and low-cost structural programming strategy, which was self-assembled by introducing an embedded gradient structure into a single bilayer structure with the assistance of gradient-dissolved oxygen in nature. This multistructure endowed the hydrogel with a faster bending response than a single bilayer structure due to the synergistic asymmetry of the simple bilayer structure and the embedded gradient structure. It was found that the prepared hydrogels exhibited significantly anisotropic electrical conductivity and swelling properties. Moreover, the stimulus-responsive shape deformation exhibited superior temperature- and pH-based deformation programmability. Additionally, this hydrogel could serve as a hydrogel gripper to perform grasping behavior, which demonstrated that our study opens up a new route for designing and fabricating smart actuators.
研究领域:
材料科学
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智能材料
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生物医学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2021
·
IF 9.229
Linlin Wang,Fenghua Zhang,Yanju Liu,Shanyi Du,Jinsong Leng
High-performance shape memory thermosetting polymers and their composites for four-dimensional (4D) printing are essential in practical applications. To date, most printable thermosets suffer from complicated processes, poor thermodynamic performances, and low printing speed. Here, photosensitive composite inks for fast photocuring printing are developed. The inks consist of epoxy acrylate (EPAc), polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA), and carbon fillers, which form a firm network structure when exposed to UV light. EPAc is synthesized via addition esterification of epoxy resin and acrylic acid under mild conditions. It is worth noting that raw materials for the reaction are diverse, including not only various epoxy resins but also molecules with epoxy groups. The 4D printing speed of up to 180 mm/h is mainly attributed to the exothermic reaction initiated by free radicals, which accelerates the polymerization of EPAc and PEGDMA. Most importantly, by increasing the exposure time of each layer from 1 s to 3 s during the printing process, the epoxy composite-infilled carbon nanotubes and carbon fibers are printed to ensure the integrity of the microlayer structure. Furthermore, we design a claw-like catcher device based on the above printable composite inks to demonstrate its potential applications in aerospace, such as grasping end-of-service spacecraft or explosive debris. Undoubtedly, 4D printing technology opens up a new portal for the manufacturing of thermoset epoxy composites and complex structures, which make the shape memory thermosetting epoxy resins and their composites possess excellent properties and good engineering application prospects.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
先进制造
·
航空航天工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Advanced Materials Technologies
·
2023
·Vol. 8
·期 8
·2201715
·
IF 6.8
Chenxing Xiang,Huiming Ning,Ning Hu,Lidan Zhang,Rui Zou,Alamusi Li,Feng Liu,Kaiyan Huang,Jie Wen,Shu Wang,Xiaopeng Wu,Zengrui Song,Yaolu Liu,Liangke Wu
Smart adhesion actuators have played an increasingly important role in industrial manufacturing, medical equipment, and other applications of daily life. Inspired by the octopus sucker, a smart bionic adhesion actuator is designed that uses hydrogel-based materials with a photothermal effect to simulate the contraction and relaxation of octopus sucker muscles, enabling it to rapidly grasp and release objects weighing more than 24 times its own weight, while having good cyclic stability. The magnitude of the grasping force can be monitored in real time through an additional sensing structure, which is similar to the nerves of octopus sucker. By sensing and adjusting the state of adsorption, controllable adsorption can be achieved using this self-sensing function, thereby greatly improving energy efficiency. It provides a new direction for the design of smart bionic adhesion actuators with hydrogels.
研究领域:
机器人技术
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材料科学
·
生物力学
·
传感器
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nature Communications
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-12
·
IF 14.7
Mao Qian,Liao Zijian,Yuan Jinfeng,Zhu Rong
As robots are increasingly participating in our daily lives, the quests to mimic human abilities have driven the advancements of robotic multimodal senses. However, current perceptual technologies still unsatisfied robotic needs for home tasks/environments, particularly facing great challenges in multisensory integration and fusion, rapid response capability, and highly sensitive perception. Here, we report a flexible tactile sensor utilizing thin-film thermistors to implement multimodal perceptions of pressure, temperature, matter thermal property, texture, and slippage. Notably, the tactile sensor is endowed with an ultrasensitive (0.05 mm/s) and ultrafast (4 ms) slip sensing that is indispensable for dexterous and reliable grasping control to avoid crushing fragile objects or dropping slippery objects. We further propose and develop a robotic tactile-visual fusion architecture that seamlessly encompasses multimodal sensations from the bottom level to robotic decision-making at the top level. A series of intelligent grasping strategies with rapid slip feedback control and a tactile-visual fusion recognition strategy ensure dexterous robotic grasping and accurate recognition of daily objects, handling various challenging tasks, for instance grabbing a paper cup containing liquid. Furthermore, we showcase a robotic desktop-cleaning task, the robot autonomously accomplishes multi-item sorting and cleaning desktop, demonstrating its promising potential for smart housekeeping.
研究领域:
机器人技术
·
传感技术
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人工智能
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机电一体化
·
人机交互
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
·
2025
·
IF 12.5
Ziwei Zhang,Wenjing Zhang,Lang Ding,Ming Liu,Bowen Zheng,Chenxin Yi,Jing Chen,Shuai Zhou
Human skin achieves high sensitivity and a wide range of tactile perception through its gradient structure and the synergistic function of various receptors. However, significant challenges remain in achieving multifunctional synergy enhancement for artificial skin. This study develops a soft-tough bilayer gradient hydrogel based on a salting-out and ion coordination toughening strategy, achieving high sensitivity (7.35 kPa −1 , 0–3 kPa) and a broad stress sensing range (0–75.44 kPa). The soft layer is designed with a low-density polyacrylamide (PAM) network, where weak chemical crosslinking improves both elasticity and sensitivity. Meanwhile, the tough layer is formed by a high-density dual crosslinked network of polyacrylamide /polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate, followed by post-treatment in ZnSO 4 solution. The combined effects of salting-out and ion coordination greatly enhance toughness, extend the stress detection range, and strengthen interlayer adhesion. Furthermore, this study integrates the hydrogel into a robotic arm and develops a gel-controller-computer tactile feedback system that simulates the conditioned reflex mechanism, enabling non-destructive recognition and precise grasping of objects with varying hardness. Moreover, the bilayer gradient hydrogel-based sensor facilitates comprehensive recognition of an object's weight and shape. This research offers a novel approach to advancing artificial skin, bioinspired robotics, and intelligent sensing technologies.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
柔性机器人
·
传感器与执行器
·
生物医学工程
·
人工智能
·
机电一体化
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL
·
2025
·
IF 4.5
Wentao Dong,Chang Chen,Mengyuan Xiong,Lin Yang,Giancarlo Fortino
Robot hand requires more sensing data to perform grasping tasks safely. It is difficult to ensure the stability and adaptability of the robot hand during the grasping process with single sensing data, which hinders the advanced capabilities and real time performance of robot hand. The real time control system based on flexible dual-modal sensors (FDMSs) and embedded multilayer perceptron (MLP) model is built to enhance performance of robot hand in precision operations and complex tasks. FDMSs are applied to simultaneously detect the proximity distance and contact pressure of the target objects for providing richer tactile information during the grasping process of the robot hand. Lightweight neural network models are deployed on STM32F4 microprocessor for processing the modal sensing data from FDMSs. Robot hand with FDMSs could grasp different objects successfully with proximity distance and contact pressure signal feedback control strategies, which improves the operational precision and response time of robot hand during the grasping process. Comparative experiments indicate that the embedded AI system with sensory feedback could adjust grasping force to avoid damaging objects. Robot hand with FDMSs and embedded AI demonstrates good adaptability of grasping various objects by adjusting the grasping strategy based on multi-sensing data, ensuring safe and effective task completion.
研究领域:
机器人学
·
传感器
·
人工智能
·
嵌入式系统
·
电子皮肤
·
触觉感知
·
控制系统
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子