Materials World Network: Designer Nanodiamonds for Detoxification

我们组建了一个由俄罗斯和美国研究人员组成的多学科团队，他们是实验/计算材料科学和医学/农业研究方面的专家。该团队将创建功能化金刚石纳米粒子的水溶胶，作为设计师的霉菌毒素胃肠肠道吸附剂。霉菌毒素是霉菌的有毒副产品，是发展中国家的一个主要问题，在这些国家，粮食短缺使得处理可能发霉的饲料变得不切实际。我们团队正在开发的设计师金刚石纳米颗粒是一种全新的肠道吸附材料，可以批量生产，并调整以结合特定毒素，同时最大限度地减少有害的副作用。美国团队由来自北卡罗来纳州州立大学材料科学与工程系的Don Brenner教授和Tzy-Jun Mark Luo教授，以及来自北卡罗来纳州三角研究园国际技术中心（ITC）的高级科学家Olga Shenderova博士和顾问Varvara Grichko博士组成。美国研究人员的主要作用是使用精确的从头算和分子建模方法，在稳定性和目标多功能性方面有效地探索金刚石纳米颗粒表面结构，并使用专有的辉光放电大气压等离子体实验过程，然后根据建模研究的结果对金刚石纳米颗粒进行光谱表征。多功能性是指金刚石纳米颗粒保持稳定和良好分散的水/有机溶胶的能力，同时产生针对抗毒素应用的生物活性。 俄罗斯对应工作的主要研究人员是俄罗斯科学院西伯利亚克拉斯诺亚尔斯克西伯利亚分支生物物理研究所的弗拉基米尔·邦达尔博士和阿列克谢·普祖尔博士。 Bondars博士和Puzurs博士在我们团队中的主要作用是提供尺寸选定的金刚石纳米颗粒，供ITC加工，并对美国团队加工后的材料进行体外和体内生物活性研究，包括可取的和有害的。该研究所是开发和测试用于牲畜和人类医疗用途的肠道吸附剂的国际领导者之一。作为这项工作的一部分，我们正在培训新一代材料科学研究生在材料科学/医学/农业的界面进行研究，并为这些学生提供理论，建模和实验如何相互作用的第一手经验，并帮助每个领域的进步。这一努力也使学生在工业环境中工作的经验，并为学生提供技术转让的亲密知识。

We have assembled a multidisciplinary team of Russian and U.S. researchers who are experts in experimental/computational Materials Science and Medical/Agricultural Research. This team will create hydrosols of functionalized diamond nanoparticles that act as designer gastrointestinal enterosorbents for mycotoxins. Mycotoxins, which are the toxic by-products of molds, are a major problem in developing countries where food shortages make disposing of potentially moldy feed impractical. The designer diamond nanoparticles being developed by our team are a completely new and novel set of enterosorbent materials that can be made in bulk quantities and tuned to bind specific toxins while minimizing harmful side effects. The U.S. team is composed of Prof. Don Brenner and Prof. Tzy-Jiun Mark Luo from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University, and Dr. Olga Shenderova, Senior Scientist and Dr. Varvara Grichko, Consultant, from the International Technology Center (ITC), Research Triangle Park, NC. The primary role of the U.S. researchers is to use accurate ab initio and molecular modeling methods to efficiently explore diamond nanoparticle surface structures in terms of stability and target multi-functionality, and using a proprietary glow discharge atmospheric plasma experimentally process and then spectroscopically characterize diamond nanoparticles based on the results of the modeling studies. Multi-functionality refers to the ability of the diamond nanoparticles to remain as stable and well dispersed hydro/organosols while yielding biological activity for targeted anti-toxin applications. The lead researchers of the Russian counterpart effort are Dr. Vladimir Bondar and Dr. Alexei Puzur of the Institute of Biophysics (IB), Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Dr. Bondars and Dr. Puzurs primary role in our team is to provide size-selected diamond nanoparticles for processing at the ITC, and to carry out the in vitro and in vivo studies of the biological activity, both desirable and harmful, of the materials after processing by the U.S. team. This institute is one of the international leaders in the development and testing of enterosorbents for livestock and human medical uses. As part of this effort we are training a new generation of Materials Science graduate students to perform research at the interface of Materials Science/Medicine/Agriculture, as well as providing these students first-hand experience with how theory, modeling and experiment can interact and aid progress in each area. This effort also gives students experience working within an industrial setting and provides the students with intimate knowledge of technology transfer.