MRI: Acquisition of Instrumentation for Enhancement of Undergraduate Research and Pedagogy in Molecular Bioengineering

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0923273Ferri"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."This MRI requests a Cell-Scale Biotester 5000 biaxial materials testing system, Applied Biosystems (ABI) real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis suite, and a Nikon Ti-E inverted C1 confocal laser scanning microscope. The Cell-Scale Biotester 5000 will be used to measure mechanical properties of synthetic and natural soft nanomembranes, the ABI RT-PCR system will be used to measure gene expression in response to engineering strain, and the Nikon Ti-E C1 will be used to image cellular adhesion proteins as a function of mechanical properties of the substrate and applied load and molecular transport in engineered nanocomposite tissue scaffolds. The feedback of local matrix stiffness on cellular functions has important implications for development, differentiation, disease, and regeneration. This research will have a significant impact in the emerging technologies in biomedicine and the relationships between mechanical response, biochemical signaling (specifically gene expression), and cell microstructure. The PIs propose an integrative research and education program at Lafayette College, an undergraduate institution, which will continue to expand the participation of undergraduates in molecular biomechanics while building infrastructure for the Bioengineering/Biotechnology program at Lafayette. Support for this MRI will also strengthen the early career development of a faculty member from an underrepresented group (specifically women) previously identified through the NSF-GRFP as a young researcher with outstanding potential, thereby enhancing the continued recruitment and retention of women in engineering at Lafayette.