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

职业：本研究的目的是研究单个生物细胞如何对机械（耦合的正常力和剪切力）和生化（pH值和毒素）刺激作出反应。该方法是监测他们的机械，电气和生物化学反应，原位，结合荧光/共聚焦显微镜与新型微机电测试设备。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）机械和化学分析数据将使两个未探索领域的研究成为可能：（i）更真实的、组合的法向和剪切载荷下的细胞结构和粘附力学以及（ii）细胞健康之间的关系及其电阻抗。智力优点：这一建议将提供细胞刺激耦合和转导的多物理的基本理解。将细胞健康与其电阻抗相关联将导致自动化和无标记的电检测（电病理学），其可以取代传统的手动标记和基于显微镜的方案，用于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相结合，同时促进多样性，从而对社会产生影响。伴随的教育计划是（a）与宾夕法尼亚州立大学多元文化工程计划合作，为本科生提供研究经验（B）通过推广计划，为当地小学、初中和高中学生提供电子显微镜。为K-12提供显微镜;（c）为当地学校K-12教师举办夏季讲习班。全国各地的学校都将受益于外联网站，其中有这些外联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.