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

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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.