A Renewal Proposal for the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices

聚合物生物医学设备的可负担的纳米工程中心正在研究低成本的、基于聚合物的纳米技术，这些技术可用于制造下一代医学诊断和治疗应用的多功能纳米结构和纳米流体设备。中心？的研究集中在聚合物纳米工程和纳米流体之间的接口，导致两个实际的纳米工厂装配线，一个基于纳米流体网络和其他静电纺丝纳米纤维。纳米工厂装配线连接纳米材料和纳米技术，使细胞，生物分子和纳米粒子形成和运输沿着预先指定的？装配线？控制运动和结构。它允许连续生产多功能仿生纳米结构，非随机转染和单个细胞的分子分析，以及基于3D细胞的设备。这些纳米工厂将大大提高通过基因组学和蛋白质组学研究发现的新药和基因的性能，用于治疗癌症、传染病和寄生虫病、慢性病和遗传疾病。第二阶段有三个主要的科学挑战：1）聚合物特性的纳米级表征和建模，2）纳米级的界面聚合物-生物分子相互作用，以及3）纳米级和多尺度流体学和建模。（1）3D聚合物纳米结构的可负担的和生物良性的制造，（2）聚合物和生物分子纳米结构的引导组装，（3）主动纳米流体设计，以及（4）基于磁镊、光镊波导和电化学蘸笔纳米光刻悬臂阵列的用于操纵生物分子、细胞和纳米颗粒的装置阵列。拟议活动的社会影响是：（1）通过负担得起的制造方法和新颖的设计将新的纳米工程生物医学设备商业化，（2）将研究成果从医学/生物学应用扩展到功能性纳米复合材料，水处理，国土安全，环境保护和食品工业毒理学，（3）建立新产品和新产业，在美国创造高薪就业机会，（4）在经济上重要和关键的高科技领域培养21世纪的劳动力。

ABSTRACTThe Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices is researching low-cost, polymer-based nanotechnologies that can be used to manufacture multifunctional nanostructures and nanofluidic devices for next generation medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The Center?s research concentrates on the interface between polymer nanoengineering and nanofluidics, leading to two practical nanofactory assembly lines, one based on nanofluidic network and the other on electrospun nanofibers. A nanofactory assembly line links nanomaterials and nanotechnologies to allow cells, biomolecules and nanoparticles to be formed and transported along a pre-specified ?assembly line? with controlled motion and structure. It allows continuous production of multi-functional biomimetic nanostructures, non-stochastic transfection and molecular analysis of individual cells, and 3D cell-based devices. These nanofactories will greatly enhance the performance of new drugs and genes discovered through genomics and proteomics research for the treatment of cancer, infectious and parasitological disease, chronic illness, and genetic disorders. There are three major scientific challenges in Phase II: 1) nanoscale characterization and modeling of polymer properties, 2) interfacial polymer-biomolecule interactions at the nanoscale, and 3) nanoscale and multiscale fluidics and modeling These scientific studies will enable: (1) affordable and biologically benign fabrication of 3D polymer nanoconstructs, (2) guided assembly of polymer and biomolecule nanostructures, (3) active nanofluidic designs, and (4) arrays of devices for the manipulation of biomolecules, cells and nanoparticles, based on magnetic tweezers, optical tweezer wave guides, and electrochemical dip-pen nanolithography cantilever arrays. The societal impacts of the proposed activities are to: (1) commercialize new nanoengineered biomedical devices through affordable manufacturing methods and novel design, (2) extend research results from medical/biology applications to functional nanocomposites, water treatment, homeland security, environmental protection, and food industry toxicology, (3) establish new products and new industries to create high-paying jobs in the U.S., and (4) train the 21st century workforce in economically important and critical high-tech fields.