e.g. cancer. The chief advantages of the techniques, the proposed methods invention. Inquiries concerning rights for its proposed methods are their speed, ease, would combine high specificity with commercial use should be addressed to: reliability, and capacity to select individ - high speed. Innovative Technology Assets Management ual cells from a tissue slice population This work was done by Lawrence A. Wade JPL with a higher degree of purity and speci - of Caltech and Emil P. Kartalov, Darryl Shi - Mail Stop 202-233 ficity. The result is the extracted DNA bata, and Clive Taylor of the University of 4800 Oak Grove Drive can be biochemically analyzed with a Southern California for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 higher degree of diagnostic accuracy, as Laboratory. Further information is contained E-mail: [email protected] the isolated sub-sample would not be di - in a TSP (see page 1) . Refer to NPO-47561, volume and number luted by unwanted material from the In accordance with Public Law 96-517, of this NASA Tech Briefs issue, and the ambient tissue. In comparison to other the contractor has elected to retain title to this page number.

Robotic Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Organ Growth Biocompatible and biodegradable smart scaffolds could reconfigure their shape and size to accommodate organ development. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

The aim of tissue engineering (TE) is sponse to dynamics of the physical envi - tecting response of cells to drug release to restore tissue and organ functions ronment ( in vivo cartilage develop - and to mechanical actions), building with minimal host rejection. TE is seen ment) illustrates a clear benefit (better controls for drug release and move - as a future solution to solve the crisis of growth) when stressed. It has been ment, and building even simple algo - donor organs for transplant, which faces shown that static and dynamic compres - rithms for mapping sensing to action, a shortage expected only to increase in sion regulates PRG4 biosynthesis by car - these structures can actually be made the future. In this innovation, a flexible tilage explants. into biocompatible and biodegradable and configurable scaffold has been con - Mechanical tissue stimulation is bene - robots. Treating them as robots is a per - ceived that mechanically stresses cells ficial and (flexible) scaffolds with mov - spective shift that may offer advantages that are seeded on it, stimulating them able components, which are able to in - in the design and exploitation of these to increased growth. duce mechanical stimulation, offer structures of the future. The influence of mechanical stress/ advantages over the fixed, rigid scaffold This work was done by Adrian Stoica of Cal - loading on cell growth has been ob - design. In addition to improved cell tech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For served on all forms of cells. For exam - growth from physical/mechanical stimu - more information, contact [email protected]. ple, for cartilages, studies in animals, tis - lation, additional benefits include the This invention is owned by NASA, and a sue explants, and engineered tissue ability to increase in size while preserv - patent application has been filed. Inquiries con - scaffolds have all shown that cartilage ing shape, or changing shape. cerning nonexclusive or exclusive license for its cells (chondrocytes) modify their extra - By making scaffolds flexible, allowing commercial development should be addressed to cellular matrix in response to loading. relative movement between their com - the Patent Counsel, NASA Management Of - The chondrocyte EMC production re - ponents, adding sensing (e.g., for de - fice–JPL. Refer to NPO-47142.

Stress-Driven Selection of Novel Phenotypes A methodology allows the experimental design of novel peptides and RNAs that have desired properties. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

A process has been developed that can libraries, which have no bias towards any by definition, work as expected in the confer novel properties, such as metal re - biological function, are used to trans - target cell as the cell adapts to its pres - sistance, to a host bacterium. This same form the organism of interest and to ence during the selection process. Once process can also be used to produce serve as an initial source of genetic varia - the novel gene, which produces the RNAs and peptides that have novel prop - tion for stress-driven evolution. sought phenotype, is obtained, it can be erties, such as the ability to bind particu - The transformed bacteria are propa - transferred to the main genome to in - lar compounds. It is inherent in the gated under selective pressure in order crease the genetic stability in the organ - method that the peptide or RNA will be - to obtain variants with the desired prop - ism. Alternatively, the cell line can be have as expected in the target organism. erties. The process is highly distinct used to produce novel RNAs or peptides Plasmid-born mini-gene libraries coding from in vitro methods because the vari - with selectable properties in large quan - for either a population of combinatorial ants are selected in the context of the tity for separate purposes. The system al - peptides or stable, artificial RNAs carry - cell while it is experiencing stress. lows for easy, large-scale purification of ing random inserts are produced. These Hence, the selected peptide or RNA will, the RNAs or peptide products.

NASA Tech Briefs, August 2011 21