IDBR: High Throughput Highly Multiplexed Microscopic Imaging

多路光谱成像技术在生物学研究中取得了许多有价值的发现。为了进一步提高我们对生物系统的认识，增强我们对信号通路的理解，越来越多的蛋白质和其他分子正在同时被研究。这些研究是复杂的，通常需要光学标签的光谱复用。类似地，还需要高吞吐量和/或高数据速率测量。我们的目标是开发用于高度多重成像的金属纳米颗粒。该项目的目标是合成纳米颗粒，功能化纳米颗粒，表征和优化纳米颗粒的性能。实现这些目标的工作将并行执行，因为每个目标所涉及的方法需要频繁迭代才能达到预期的最终结果。开发工作可以服务于参与一系列生物学研究的用户社区，包括细胞标记，颗粒跟踪研究，蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用和细胞蛋白质动力学。这项工作将产生广泛的科学影响，以及社会、教育和培训影响。这个为期一年的项目将通过培训一名博士后和一名本科暑期学生来整合研究和教育。虽然学生将得到这笔赠款的支持，他或她将参加NSF支持的本科生研究经验计划，SRI的分子物理实验室在过去17年中一直在进行。增强成像方法的变革能力将导致对生物学，细胞生物学和疾病过程的更好理解。

Multiplexed spectral imaging has led to many valuable discoveries in biological studies. To further improve our knowledge of biological systems and enhance our understanding of signaling pathways, more and more proteins and other molecules are being studied simultaneously. Such studies are complex, often requiring the spectral multiplexing of optical labels. Similarly, high-throughput and/or high-data rate measurements are also needed. Our objective is to develop metal nanoparticles for highly multiplexed imaging. The goals for this project are to synthesize nanoparticles, functionalize nanoparticles, and characterize and optimize the nanoparticle performance. Work toward meeting each of these goals will be performed in parallel because frequent iteration of methods involved for each goal will be required to reach the desired final result. The development effort can serve user communities involved in a range of biological studies, including cellular labeling, particle tracking studies, protein-protein interactions, and cellular protein dynamics. This work will have broad scientific impacts, as well as social and educational and training impacts. The one-year project will integrate research and education through the training of one postdoctoral fellow and one undergraduate summer student. Although the student will be supported by this grant, he or she will participate in the NSF-supported Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, which SRI's Molecular Physics Laboratory has conducted for the past 17 years. The transformative capabilities of the enhanced imaging method will lead to greater understanding of biology, cell biology and disease processes.