NIRT: For Biomedical Nanotube Technology

这项由佛罗里达大学charles R. Martin教授担任首席研究员的为期四年的纳米尺度跨学科研究小组（NIRT）项目，对智能纳米管的开发进行了广泛而系统的研究，这些纳米管是生物工程和量身定制的，以完成特定的生物医学/生化功能。二氧化硅和聚合物纳米管将广泛应用于这项研究工作。制备了功能化的生物可降解和生物相容性的聚丙交酯纳米管。该研究计划的目标包括：(1)表明生物化学功能化纳米管内的化学微环境可以被微调，从而促进特定的所需生化过程；(2)表明纳米管可以通过纳米粒子帽的自组装化学来封帽；(3)证明这些纳米颗粒帽可以通过化学键连接，当检测到特定的细胞间化学信号时，化学键会解离；(4)证明这些纳米管可以在其外表面贴上识别特定细胞类型的抗体；(5)证明所有这些概念可以协同用于设计新的基于纳米管的DNA转染载体，将遗传物质传递到特定的所需细胞类型。

This four-year Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team (NIRT) project at the University of Florida with ProfessorCharles R. Martin as principal investigator, conducts a broad-based and systematic investigation of the development of smart nanotubes that are bioengineered and tailor-designed so as to accomplish specific biomedical/biochemical functions. Silica asn polymeric nanotubes will be extensively used in this research effort. Functionalized biodegradable and biocompatible poly( (lactide) nanotubes will be prepared. The objective of the research program include: (1) to show that the chemical microenvironment within biochemically-functionalized nanotubes can be fine-tuned so as promote specific desired biochemical processes; (2) to show that such nanotubes can be capped via self-assembly chemistry with nanoparticle caps; (3) to demonstrate that these nanoparticle caps can be attached via chemical bond that dissociate when a specific intercellular chemical signal is detected; (4) to show that such nanotubes can be tagged on their outer surfaces with antibodies that recognize specific cell types; and (5) to prove that all of these concepts can be used in concert to design new nanotube-based DNA transfection vechicles that deliver genetic material to specific desired cell types.