GOALI: Scanning Probe Recognition Microscopy

扫描探针显微镜技术家族已经给半导体、聚合物和纳米结构的研究带来了革命性的变化，最近在生物医学方面产生了巨大的影响。扫描探针显微镜的关键能力在于，通过反馈回路、探测器和压电驱动的受控组合，它能够直接研究原子到纳米级的现象。由于定位和驱动问题，当前的扫描探针显微镜系统无法可靠地返回到感兴趣的特定纳米级特征并直接与其交互。目前的研究将为已经强大的扫描探针显微镜家族增加这一重要能力。我们的关键是赋予扫描探针显微镜系统本身返回到感兴趣的特定纳米级特征的能力，方法是识别扫描探针显微镜系统对该站点的感觉，而不是通过操作员查看该站点的方式。它是一种识别驱动和学习方法，通过将扫描探针显微镜的压电实现与在线图像处理和动态自适应学习算法相结合而成为可能。除高端命令外，无需人工操作；因此，这种方法具有广泛实施的巨大潜力。这种方法与扫描探针显微镜的相互作用传感能力相结合，扫描探针显微镜具有固有的纳米到原子分辨率。这项技术被称为扫描探针识别显微镜。扫描探针识别显微镜的成功实施将把所有纳米技术领域的研究能力和易用性带到一个新的水平。这一影响在实现直接的纳米生物医学研究方面可能尤其重要，因为生物学和医学中的关键问题围绕着通过特定大分子与特定表面受体位置的相互作用而触发的调节信号级联。扫描探针识别显微镜在纳米医学中的应用结果可能是一场革命，可以从在接近生命的条件下研究的纳米级生物单位中获得新的直接信息。扫描探针识别显微镜是通过NSF GOALI计划(授予与行业学术联系的机会)共同资助的。其成功的一个关键因素是与全球领先的扫描探针显微镜系统开发商和制造商Veeco计量/数字仪器公司的战略合作伙伴关系。这一合作关系将提供一条非常直接的途径，使扫描探针识别显微镜能力在整个纳米技术社区迅速获得，并为参与研究的学生提供一个独特的机会，这将使他们为成为下一代纳米技术研究人员的领导者做好准备。

The family of Scanning Probe Microscopy techniques has revolutionized studies of semiconductors, polymers and nanostructures, with recent dramatic impacts in biomedicine. The key capability of Scanning Probe Microscopy is that, through a controlled combination of feedback loops, detectors and piezoelectric actuation, it enables direct investigations of atomic to nanometer scale phenomena. Due to positioning and actuation issues, current Scanning Probe Microscopy systems do not have the power to reliably return to and directly interact with a specific nanoscale feature of interest. The present research will add this important capability to the already powerful Scanning Probe Microscope family. Our key is to give the Scanning Probe Microscope system itself the power to return to a specific nanoscale feature of interest by recognizing the way that site feels to the Scanning Probe Microscope system rather than by the way the site looks to a human operator. It is a recognition-driven and learning approach, made possible through combining Scanning Probe Microscope piezoelectric implementation with on-line image processing and dynamically adaptive learning algorithms. The human operator is eliminated except for high-end commands; therefore this approach has tremendous potential for widespread implementation. This approach works with the interaction sensing capability of a Scanning Probe Microscope, which has inherently nanometer to atomic resolution. The technique is named Scanning Probe Recognition Microscopy.Successful implementation of Scanning Probe Recognition Microscopy will bring all nanotechnology fields a new level of investigative capability and ease of use. The impact could be especially significant in enabling direct nano-biomedical investigations, since key issues in biology and medicine revolve around regulatory signaling cascades that are triggered through the interaction of specific macromolecules with specific surface receptor sites. The results of applications of Scanning Probe Recognition Microscopy in nano-medicine could be a revolution in newly available direct information from nanoscale living units investigated under nearly life-like conditions. Scanning Probe Recognition Microscopy is co-funded through the NSF GOALI program (Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry). A key element in its success is a strategic partnership with Veeco Metrology /Digital Instruments, the leading developer and manufacturer of Scanning Probe Microscope systems world wide. The partnership will provide a very direct path to make the Scanning Probe Recognition Microscopy capability quickly available throughout the nanotechnology communities, and a unique opportunity for the students involved in the research, which will prepare them to become leaders within the next generation of nanotechnology researchers.