MRI: Acquisition of an Atomic Force Microscope for Bioengineering and Life Science Research Across Multiple Scales: Molecules, Polymers, Microbes, and Cells

MRI：购买原子力显微镜，用于多尺度的生物工程和生命科学研究：分子、聚合物、微生物和细胞

• 批准号: 0922901
• 负责人: Terri Camesano
• 金额: $ 19.89万
• 依托单位: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2012-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0922901&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Atomic; Force; Microscope

0922901CamesanoWPI researchers from five academic departments seek a new low-noise AFM (Asylum MFP-3D-BIO) which is geared towards biological applications. The AFM provides the ability to examine a full spectrum of biological molecules and structures, ranging from the pico- to micron scale. The goals of the proposed work are to: 1. Identify picoNewton and nanoNewton forces that control function and interaction of biological molecules and structures, leading to transformative developments in bioengineering and life science research. The projects span a range of scales, including - Molecular, macromolecular and polymer level: a) studying the elastic properties of microstructures (such as filaments, helical ribbons, and tubules) formed in the process of cholesterol crystallization in multi-component systems; b) characterizing nanomechanical interactions between collagen fibers that make up extracellular matrix surrounding living cells; c) quantifying the spacing and extension of biopolymers on a bacterial surface; and d) measuring the thickness of liquid crystal, polymer, and protein films; - Microbial level: a) monitoring how the cell walls of Bacillus anthracis spores break down due to action of antimicrobial peptides; and b) studying bacterial-nematode interactions, such as how the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis forms a biofilm only on the head region of C. elegans; - Cellular level: a) determination of surface morphology, elasticity, and adhesion properties of C. elegans; and b) measuring forces that control the adhesion of uropathogenic bacteria to bladder epithelial cells. 2. Provide a research infrastructure for the quantitative study of biological interactions for the WPI community, fostering the development of collaborative proposals among the PIs, and allowing for joint supervision of graduate and undergraduate research projects. The new AFM will be located in an interdisciplinary research facility, the Life Science and Bioengineering Center (LSBC), which is the focal point for WPI's research and graduate education in life science and bioengineering. The proposed instrument acquisition will provide enhanced training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, and to contribute to K-12 outreach by providing research exposure on the new AFM to middle-school teachers. The integration of research with education is the cornerstone of the WPI experience for students. All WPI seniors complete a year-long senior thesis, usually in a research lab under the mentorship of faculty and graduate students. This new AFM will be instrumental in allowing the development of projects supporting the interests of multidisciplinary teams of students from different disciplines within science and engineering.

0922901CamesanoWPI 来自五个学术部门的研究人员正在寻求一种面向生物应用的新型低噪声 AFM (Asylum MFP-3D-BIO)。 AFM 能够检查从皮级到微米级的全谱生物分子和结构。拟议工作的目标是： 1. 确定控制生物分子和结构的功能和相互作用的皮牛顿力和纳牛顿力，从而导致生物工程和生命科学研究的变革性发展。这些项目涵盖了一系列尺度，包括 - 分子、大分子和聚合物水平： a) 研究多组分系统中胆固醇结晶过程中形成的微观结构（如细丝、螺旋带和小管）的弹性特性； b) 表征构成活细胞周围细胞外基质的胶原纤维之间的纳米机械相互作用； c) 量化细菌表面生物聚合物的间距和延伸； d)测量液晶、聚合物和蛋白质膜的厚度； - 微生物水平：a) 监测炭疽芽孢杆菌孢子的细胞壁如何因抗菌肽的作用而分解； b) 研究细菌-线虫相互作用，例如鼠疫细菌鼠疫耶尔森氏菌如何仅在秀丽隐杆线虫的头部区域形成生物膜； - 细胞水平：a) 测定秀丽隐杆线虫的表面形态、弹性和粘附特性； b) 测量控制泌尿道致病细菌与膀胱上皮细胞粘附的力。 2. 为WPI社区提供生物相互作用定量研究的研究基础设施，促进PI之间合作提案的制定，并允许研究生和本科生研究项目的联合监督。新的 AFM 将位于跨学科研究机构生命科学和生物工程中心 (LSBC)，该中心是 WPI 生命科学和生物工程研究和研究生教育的焦点。拟议的仪器采购将为研究生和本科生提供更多的培训机会，并通过向中学教师提供有关新 AFM 的研究机会，为 K-12 的推广做出贡献。研究与教育的结合是 WPI 学生体验的基石。所有 WPI 的高年级学生通常都会在教师和研究生的指导下在研究实验室完成为期一年的高级论文。这个新的 AFM 将有助于开发项目，支持来自科学和工程领域不同学科的学生组成的多学科团队的兴趣。