Scaffolds for Emergence

Scaffolds for Emergence

In this metaphor, a framework supplies a lasting structure, while a scaffold supports something temporarily until it can stand on its own.

In architecture, a scaffold usually holds workers and materials during the erection or repair of a building. As a temporary structure for doing work on something, it is not the primary object. It is typically incomplete, it is not left in the system, and it does not give form to the primary object. In fact, its form is usually dictated by the form-to-be of the primary object.

Biological scaffolds include nano-fiber mats and three-dimensional structures used in regenerative medicine. These support human tissue, structures and organ growth in the human body compromised by injury or disease. These scaffolds allow cell attachment and migration. They can also deliver vital nutrients or exert specific mechanical or biological influences to modify cells’ behavior. Some scaffolds are designed to dissolve as the cells grow and tissue regenerates. Scaffolds support and nurture cell behavior defined by their own needs and “instructions” for growth. They do not determine the final work; they provide for, and in some cases influence, its emergence.

The account describes a tiny, tubular, porous scaffold developed at the University of Washington to support fragile cardiac cells. The proposed approach is to seed it with stem cells, implant it in a damaged heart, and allow it to dissolve as tissue grows. Its intended benefits include supporting cardiac tissue and improving its supply of oxygen and nutrients; the description does not establish a clinical outcome.

Then there is the more ‘cyborg’ version of the biological scaffolding as in this work coming out of Bioengineering at Harvard University. These ‘cyborg’ tissues combine living cells with electronics. As far as the cells are concerned, they’re just normal cells that behave normally – but the electronic side actually acts as a sensor network, allowing a computer to interface directly with the cells. In the case of cyborg heart tissue, the researchers have already used the embedded nanowires to measure the contractions and heart rate of the cells.

To create cyborg flesh, as reported by Sebastian Anthony, you “start with a three-dimensional scaffold that encourages cells to grow around them. It is generally made of collagen which makes up the connective tissue in almost every animal. Harvard engineers took normal collagen and wove nanowires and transistors into the matrix to create nano-electric scaffolds (nanoES). Neurons, heart cells, muscle and blood vessels were then grown as normal, creating cyborg tissue with a built-in sensor system.”

In biological scaffolding, the scaffold provides the means for the natural emergence of an organ’s tissue regeneration. It provides structural support that the organ (such as the ‘missing’ skin in a severely burned patient) itself cannot, while also creating the necessary conditions and resources (nutrients) for growth. It changes the context for the regeneration of tissue, which follows its own instruction/ruleset. A scaffold, therefore, supports emergence: lower-level rules creating higher-level order.

For an organization or a “wicked” problem, the metaphor suggests designing temporary support, observing what develops, and adjusting or removing the support as it becomes unnecessary.