Career: In-situ Monitoring of Opto-electro-mechanical Responses of Single Cells to External Stimuli using MEMS

本研究的目的是研究单个生物细胞如何对机械（耦合的法向力和剪切力）和生化（pH水平和epsilon毒素）刺激作出反应。该方法是通过将荧光/共聚焦显微镜与新型微机电测试设备相结合，现场监测它们的机械、电气和生化反应。机械和化学分析的同时定性（直接可视化）和定量（力、位移和生物阻抗的实时测量）数据将使我们能够在两个尚未开发的领域进行研究：(i)在更现实的正常和剪切组合载荷下的细胞结构和粘附力学，以及（ii）细胞健康与其电阻抗之间的关系。智力优势：本提案将提供对细胞刺激耦合和转导的多物理场的基本理解。将细胞健康与其电阻抗联系起来将导致自动化和无标签的电检测（电病理学），这可能取代传统的手动标记和基于显微镜的方案，以实现更快的诊断和药物发现应用。更广泛的影响：拟议的研究将通过将多学科研究与各级教育结合起来，促进多样性，对社会产生影响。附带的教育计划是(a)与宾夕法尼亚州立大学多元文化工程项目合作，为本科生提供研究经验(b)通过外展项目向当地的小学，初中和高中学生提供电子显微镜。(c)为当地学校的K-12教师举办暑期讲习班。全国各地的学校都将受益于外展网站，该网站提供了这些外展会议的流媒体视频和相关的多媒体材料。

Career: In-situ Monitoring of Opto-electro-mechanical Responses of Single Cells to External Stimuli using MEMSThe objective of this research is to investigate how individual biological cells react to mechanical (coupled normal and shear forces) and bio-chemical (pH level and epsilon toxin) stimuli. The approach is to monitor their mechanical, electrical and bio-chemical responses, in-situ, by combining fluorescence/confocal microscopy with novel micro-electro-mechanical testing devices. The simultaneously qualitative (direct visualization) and quantitative (real-time measurement of force, displacement and bio-impedance) data on the mechanical and chemical assays will enable research in two unexplored areas: (i) cellular structural and adhesion mechanics under more realistic, combined normal and shear loading and (ii) relationship between cell health and its electrical impedance.Intellectual merit: This proposal will provide fundamental understanding of multi-physics of cellular stimuli coupling and transduction. Relating cell health to its electrical impedance will result in automated and label-less electrical detection (electrical pathology) that may replace conventional manual labeling and microscopy-based schemes for faster diagnostics and drug discovery applications. Broader impacts: The proposed research will impact the society by integrating multi-disciplinary research with education at all levels while promoting diversity. The accompanying educational plan is to (a) provide research experience to undergraduates in collaboration with the Penn State Multicultural Engineering Program (b) bring electron microscopy in local elementary, middle and high-school students through an outreach program . Microscopy for K-12 and (c) conduct summer workshop for local school K-12 teachers. Schools throughout the nation will be benefited from the outreach website with the streaming videos of these outreach sessions and associated multi-media materials.