Biomolecular Materials: Structure, Phase Behavior, and Interactions

生物分子材料：结构、相行为和相互作用

• 批准号: 0203755
• 负责人: Cyrus Safinya
• 金额: $ 33万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Barbara
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-08-01 至 2006-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0203755&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Biomolecular; Materials; Structure; Phase; Behavior

This combined experiment and theory project is in the area of soft condensed matter physics. The research will explore phases, structures, and interactions, in supramolecular assemblies of filamentous cytoskeletal proteins and their associated biomolecules. The importance of the experiments lies in their potential to uncover the origin of fundamentally new attractive forces between charged biological polymers, which can lead to new states or arrangements of matter. The project should shed light on the physics of charged polymers, which constitute a group of technologically important industrial materials. The program trains graduate students in state-of-the-art techniques required to address complex multidisciplinary problems at the interface between physics, engineering, chemistry, and biology. The research includes structure characterization at National Synchrotron X-ray Laboratories and in-house imaging with laser-scanning confocal microscopy. This will provide student training in research settings where traditional discipline boundaries between physics, engineering, chemistry, and biology, have been removed, and teamwork and problem solving are emphasized. This will prepare the students to tackle and solve complex technological problems in their careers in academe, industry, or government.This combined experiment and theory project is in the area of soft condensed matter physics. The research focuses on producing and characterizing novel materials that are obtained when biological polymers (e.g. proteins) are brought together to form new structures with dimensions between one-billionth of a meter and one-thousandths of a meter. New "composite" materials in this size range can have technological applications in areas such as molecular-based chemical sensors, molecular sieves for separations and purification technologies, and chemical and drug delivery vehicles. The project is highly interdisciplinary and exposes graduate students to a broad spectrum of techniques. These include state-of-the-art structure characterization with synchrotron x-ray diffraction at National Synchrotron X-ray Laboratories, and in-house imaging with cutting edge optical and electron microscopes. The educational significance and impact of this interdisciplinary project, at the interface between physics, engineering, chemistry, and biology, is in the training of students with a broad outlook toward problem solving. They will be valuable not only in academic settings, but also in the industrial and government job force where interdisciplinary research is required and rewarded.

这个实验和理论相结合的项目是在软凝聚态物理领域。这项研究将探索丝状细胞骨架蛋白及其相关生物分子的超分子组装中的相、结构和相互作用。这些实验的重要性在于它们有可能揭示带电生物聚合物之间根本新的吸引力的来源，这可能导致物质的新状态或排列。该项目将阐明带电聚合物的物理学，带电聚合物构成了一组具有重要技术意义的工业材料。该计划培训研究生在最先进的技术所需的解决复杂的多学科问题之间的物理，工程，化学和生物。这项研究包括国家同步加速器X射线实验室的结构表征和激光扫描共聚焦显微镜的内部成像。这将在研究环境中提供学生培训，在这些环境中，物理、工程、化学和生物之间的传统学科界限已经被消除，强调团队合作和解决问题。这将为学生在学术、工业或政府的职业生涯中处理和解决复杂的技术问题做好准备。这个结合了实验和理论的项目是在软凝聚态物理领域。这项研究的重点是生产和表征新材料，这些材料是当生物聚合物(例如蛋白质)聚集在一起形成尺寸在十亿分之一米到千分之一米之间的新结构时获得的。这种尺寸范围的新型“复合材料”可在分子化学传感器、用于分离和提纯技术的分子筛以及化学和药物输送工具等领域有技术应用。该项目是高度跨学科的，并使研究生接触到广泛的技术。其中包括国家同步加速器X射线实验室最先进的同步加速器X射线衍射结构表征，以及使用尖端光学和电子显微镜的内部成像。这个介于物理、工程、化学和生物之间的跨学科项目的教育意义和影响在于培养具有解决问题的广阔视野的学生。它们不仅在学术环境中有价值，而且在需要跨学科研究并获得回报的行业和政府工作大军中也是如此。