NIRT: For Biomedical Nanotube Technology

这个为期四年的纳米跨学科研究团队（NIRT）项目由佛罗里达大学教授Charles R. Martin作为首席研究员，对智能纳米管的发展进行了广泛和系统的调查，这些纳米管是生物工程和量身定制的，以实现特定的生物医学/生物化学功能。 二氧化硅asn聚合物纳米管将在这项研究工作中得到广泛的应用。 制备功能化的可生物降解和生物相容的聚乳酸纳米管。 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进行微调，以促进特定的生物化学过程;（2）表明这种纳米管可以通过自组装化学与纳米颗粒帽封端;（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，所述化学键解离;（4）表明这种纳米管可以在其外表面上标记识别特定细胞类型的抗体;（5）证明所有这些概念都可以协同使用，以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.