MRI: Phase I of an Advanced Spectromicroscopy Facility: Acquisition of a Combined Confocal Optical and Atomic Force Microscope, and an Enhanced FTIR Imaging Microscope

这项提议代表了我们发展最先进的光谱显微镜设备的长期计划的第一阶段，该设备专门研究纳米和微结构与软材料的相互作用，包括聚合物、无机-有机复合材料以及蛋白质、细胞、病毒和细菌等生物系统。除了高分辨率的结构表征外，该设施中的仪器还可以研究这些相互作用的动力学、机制和动力学。这些研究对于实现纳米科学在现代材料科学和生物技术中的潜在应用至关重要。在第一阶段，我们建议获得一台组合的共焦光学和原子力显微镜(CCOAFM)。CCOAFM是庇护研究公司的第一台此类设备，它允许同时获取高分辨率AFM图像和多通道共焦显微镜图像。AFM扫描仪的一个关键功能是基于闭合环路和非显像管的AFM扫描仪，它有效地减少了漂移，提高了扫描速度，并允许集成和并行共焦成像。这些科学项目涉及薄膜和纳米结构的操作、晶体生长机制、无机-有机复合材料的生产和性能、免疫过程，如过敏和初始病毒感染，以及使用人工设计的2D纳米结构阵列或纳米和微功能脂质双层作为近本地宿主的可行性，以探索与细胞表面动力学和信号相关的蛋白质-脂和蛋白质相互作用的动力学。这些项目代表了加州大学戴维斯分校一个有组织的研究单位(ORU)的主要领域：环境、农业和技术中的纳米材料(NEAT)。整洁的ORU旨在通过提供跨学科的研究项目、最先进的设施和先进的教育计划，将学生带到纳米科学和纳米技术的前沿。作为对现有硬材料课程的补充，如催化剂、磁性材料和光学材料，这项计划旨在让优秀的学生具备扎实的基础知识和技能，以识别、接近和理解纳米材料在先进软材料和生物技术背景下的优势和局限性。在NSF-IGERT的支持下，NAT已经提供了46个研究生奖学金，6个博士学位。新的设施和现有的设施将为优秀的学生提供高级培训和技术专业知识，以应对材料表征、纳米技术和纳米生物技术方面的现代挑战，这些挑战对于保持我们国家在科学、工业研发和国土安全方面的领先地位至关重要。这个拟议中的设施也引起了当地跨学科项目、行业、社区大学和高中的极大热情。随着成像的影响和吸引力加强了我们现有的联系，几个外展项目将得到扩大。该设施加强了我们与NSF支持的CPIMA计划、加州大学戴维斯分校和LLNL领导的NSF生物光子学科学和技术中心(CBST)计划以及LBNL分子铸造的现有互动和交流。此外，许多当地公司(安捷伦、Alza、Kovio、Metro激光、IBM、集成纳米系统公司和Intermatx)都表示有兴趣通过使用CCOAFM开始或继续与NEAT团队进行合作。随着先进的光谱显微镜设施的建立，我们期待着Net-Industry合作伙伴关系的新阶段。这项提议代表了我们发展专门从事高分辨率成像和光谱分析的最先进仪器设施的长期计划的第一阶段。在第一阶段，我们建议获得一个组合的共焦光学显微镜和原子力显微镜。该仪器是庇护研究中心的第一个此类仪器。通过使用共聚焦模式，这种新的组合提供了材料的三维可视化，分辨率低至亚细胞水平，同时，能够放大到兴趣点，并通过原子力显微镜以纳米到分子的分辨率进一步成像局部结构。拟议的组合在稳定性、速度、分辨率和进行动态研究的能力方面在少数竞争对手中具有优越的性能，这主要归功于庇护研究公司对成像扫描仪的革命性设计。加州大学戴维斯分校的研究团队计划将这种新仪器用于纳米结构的生产和可视化，用于研究晶体生长机制，用于新型无机-有机复合材料的生产和性能，用于监测过敏和初始病毒感染等免疫过程，并用于测试使用人工工程纳米结构模拟细胞信号的可行性。我们预计，这些研究的结果将为实现纳米科学在现代材料科学和生物技术中的潜在应用提供关键信息。拟议的设备和项目代表了加州大学戴维斯分校一个有组织的研究单位(ORU)的主要领域：环境中的纳米材料、农业和技术(NEAT)。新的设施和现有的设施将为优秀的学生提供高级培训和技术专业知识，以应对材料表征、纳米技术和纳米生物技术方面的现代挑战，这些挑战对于保持我们国家在科学、工业研发和国土安全方面的领先地位至关重要。

This proposal represents phase I of our long-term plan for the development of a state-of-the-art spectromicroscopy facility specializing in investigating the interactions of nano- and micro-structures with soft materials, including polymers, inorganic-organic composites, and biosystems such as proteins, cells, viruses and bacteria. In addition to high-resolution structural characterization, the instruments in the facility allow the studies of the kinetics, mechanism and dynamics of these interactions. These investigations are critical for realizing the potential applications of nanoscience in modern materials science and biotechnology. In phase I, we propose the acquisition of a combined confocal optical and atomic force microscope (CCOAFM). The CCOAFM is the first of its kind from Asylum Research, which allows simultaneous acquisition of high-resolution AFM images and multichannel confocal microscopy images. A key feature is the closed-loop and non-tube based AFM scanner, which effectively reduces drift, increases scanning speed, and allows integrated and concurrent confocal imaging. Moreover, the setup is modular allowing subsequent additions of advanced spectroscopy features in phase II. The scientific projects address manipulation of thin films and nanostructures, crystal growth mechanisms, production and properties of inorganic-organic composite materials, immunoprocesses such as allergy and initial viral infection, and the feasibility of using artificially engineered 2D nanostructure arrays or nano and microfunctional lipid bilayers as near-native hosts to probe the dynamics of protein-lipid and protein-protein interactions related to cell surface dynamics and signaling. These projects represent the thrust areas of an organized research unit (ORU) at UC Davis: Nanomaterials in the Environment Agriculture and Technology (NEAT). The NEAT ORU aims to bring students to the forefront of nanoscience and nanotechnology by providing interdisciplinary research projects, state-of-the-art facilities, and advanced educational programs. Complementary to the existing programs studying hard materials, such as catalysts, magnetic and optical materials, this proposal intends to equip the NEAT students with solid fundamental knowledge and skills to identify, approach, and understand the advantages and limitations of nanomaterials in the context of advanced soft materials, and biotechnology. With the support of NSF-IGERT, NEAT has offered 46 graduate fellowships, graduated 6 Ph.D. degrees. The new facility, together with existing ones, will provide advanced training and technical expertise for NEAT students to face modern challenges in material characterization, nanotechnology, and nanobiotechnology, which are critical for maintaining our nation's leadership in science, industry R&D, and homeland security. This proposed facility has also generated great enthusiasm from local interdisciplinary programs, industry, community colleges, and high schools. Several outreach programs will be expanded, as our existing ties are strengthened by the impact and allure of imaging. The facility enhances our existing interactions and communication with the NSF-supported CPIMA program, the NSF Science and Technology Center for Biophotonics (CBST) program led by UC Davis and LLNL, as well as the Molecular Foundry at LBNL. In addition, many local corporations (Agilent, Alza, Kovio, Metrolaser, IBM, Integrated Nanosystems, and Intermatix) have expressed their strong interests in beginning or continuing collaborations with NEAT teams through the utilization of the CCOAFM. We anticipate a new phase of NEAT-Industry partnership with the establishment of the advanced spectromicroscopy facility. This proposal represents phase I of our long-term plan for the development of a state-of-the-art instrument facility specializing in high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy. In phase I, we propose the acquisition of a combined confocal optical and atomic force microscope. The instrument is the first of its kind from Asylum Research. This new combination provides, by using confocal mode, three-dimensional visualization of materials down to subcellular level resolution, and simultaneously, is able to zoom into points of interests and to further image local structures with nanometer to molecular resolution by atomic force microscopy. The proposed combination has superior performance among the few competitors in stability, speed, resolution and ability to do dynamic studies, mainly due to the revolutionary design of the imaging scanner by Asylum Research. Research teams at UC Davis plan to use this new instrument for production and visualization of nanostructures, for the study of crystal growth mechanisms, for the production and properties of novel inorganic-organic composite materials, for monitoring of the immunoprocesses such as allergy and initial viral infection, and for testing the feasibility of using artificially engineered nanostructures to mimic cell signaling. We anticipate that results from these investigations would provide critical information in realizing potential applications of nanoscience in modern materials science and biotechnology. The proposed equipment and projects represent the thrust areas of an organized research unit (ORU) at UC Davis: Nanomaterials in the Environment Agriculture and Technology (NEAT). The new facility, together with existing ones, will provide advanced training and technical expertise for NEAT students to face modern challenges in material characterization, nanotechnology, and nanobiotechnology, which are critical for maintaining our nation's leadership in science, industry R&D, and homeland security.