Ivy Adhesive Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

本研究的目标是研究从常春藤(Hedera Helix)中分泌的有机纳米颗粒的性质，并开发一种用于生物医学应用的天然有机纳米颗粒。PI最近发现，常春藤可以分泌纳米颗粒用于表面粘贴。常春藤纳米颗粒与常春藤分泌的粘多糖的结合所产生的粘附力在文献中已被证明是天然表面粘附力中单位面积上最大的力之一。通过表征常春藤胶粘剂纳米颗粒的作用和发现其化学结构，我们将开发一种用于医用胶粘剂的天然纳米颗粒。PI之前对常春藤纳米颗粒进行的研究导致了一种分离常春藤纳米颗粒的原型方法，并使用原子力显微镜来确定纳米颗粒的粘合强度。这些研究表明，这种粘合剂具有可转化为天然纳米颗粒的性质，可用于医用粘合剂。这项建议旨在推进纳米粒子的初步研究，全面表征纳米粒子，了解纳米粒子的毒性，并探索合成常春藤纳米粒子的原型方法。这项研究的具体目标是：1)从常春藤的气生根中分离纳米颗粒，2)表征常春藤纳米颗粒的粘附性和毒性，3)研究合成常春藤纳米颗粒的原型方法。智力优势：目前正在进行大量的研究，将纳米颗粒用于各种生物医学应用，包括靶向药物输送、分子成像和高强度生物材料。通过仿生常春藤纳米颗粒的粘合作用，本研究推出了第一个基于自然界的有机纳米颗粒，可用于各种生物医学应用，包括医用粘合剂、防晒癌症预防和靶向药物输送。目前，几乎所有合成的纳米颗粒都是在哺乳动物体内具有固有毒性的金属纳米颗粒。生物纳米颗粒将能够避免与金属纳米颗粒相关的大部分毒性，并扩大纳米颗粒在医学上的应用。此外，这项研究将提供一种从常春藤、太阳露和海洋贻贝等各种生物物种中分离纳米颗粒的协议方法。最后，这项研究将有助于开发用于高强度纳米复合材料的纳米颗粒增强聚合物，并为创建用于强粘合的纳米复合材料的生物方法提供有用的信息。广泛影响：本研究通过仿生、天然有机纳米颗粒的制造以及纳米颗粒在皮肤癌预防和药物输送方面的生物医学应用，对生物材料设计产生广泛的影响。药学领域早就认识到观察自然过程的重要性，找到最简单、最有效的方法来开发药物。生物医学工程正在转向仿生，以寻找合成和开发复杂的纳米结构和医学设备的方法。这项研究受益的领域包括材料科学、分子生物学、植物生物学、生物工程和纳米医学。这项研究的成果将用于将我们系的课程扩展到纳米医学和生物仿生学，以进行生物医学工程创新，并整合到一门名为纳米生物系统和仿生学的核心生物医学工程研究生课程中。该项目还将被用作在初中和高中推广当地教育的基础，并在早期吸引人们对跨学科科学的兴趣。这些研究已经鼓励在实验室工作的研究生和本科生参加跨学科课程。我们希望在整个大学开发一个跨学科的课程，目标是培养一批跨学科的核心研究人员。国际学生联合会的实验室致力于少数民族学生的培训。

0965877ZhangThe goal of this research is to study properties of organic nanoparticles secreted from English ivy (Hedera helix), and develop a nature-based organic nanoparticle for biomedical applications. It was recently discovered by the PI that ivy secretes nanoparticles for surface affixing. The adhesive force from the combination of the ivy nanoparticles and the mucopolysaccharide secreted from ivy has been demonstrated in the literature to be one of the largest forces per area in natural surface adhesion. By characterizing the role and discovering the chemical structure of the ivy adhesive nanoparticles, we will develop a nature-based nanoparticle for medical adhesive. Previous research undertaken by the PI regarding ivy nanopartciles has led to a prototype method to isolate the ivy nanoparticles, and to determine the adhesive strength of the nanoparticles using atomic force microscopy. These studies indicated that the adhesive had properties that could be translated into a nature-based nanoparticle for medical adhesive. This proposal aims to advance the preliminary studies, to completely characterize the nanoparticles, to understand toxicity of the nanoparticles and to investigate a prototype approach for synthesizing the ivy nanoparticles. The specific aims of this research are to 1) isolate nanoparticles from aerial rootlets of English ivy, 2) characterize the adhesive properties and toxicity of the ivy nanoparticles for medical applications, and 3) investigate a prototype approach for synthesizing the ivy nanoparticles.Intellectual Merit: A great amount of research is currently being undertaken on the use of nanoparticles for a variety of biomedical applications including targeted drug delivery, molecular imaging and high strength biomaterials. By biomimicking the role of ivy nanoparticles for adhesive, this research introduces the first nature-based organic nanoparticle that can be used for a variety of biomedical applications including medical adhesive, sunscreen cancer prevention and targeted drug delivery. At present, nearly all nanoparticles synthesized are metal nanoparticles that have inherent toxicity in mammalian systems. A biological nanoparticle will be able to avoid much of the toxicity associated with metal-based nanoparticles and expand the application of nanoparticles to medicine. In addition, this research will provide a protocol approach for isolating nanoparticles from a variety of biological species including ivy, sundew and marine mussels. Finally, this research will contribute to the development of nanoparticle enhanced polymers for high strength nanocomposites, and provide useful information on a biological method for creating nanocomposite for strong adhesives.Broader Impacts: This research has broad impacts on biomaterial design through biomimetics, naturebased organic nanoparticle manufacturing and biomedical applications of nanoparticles for skin cancer prevention as well as drug delivery. Pharmaceutical fields have long recognized the importance of observing natural processes, to find the simplest and the most efficient way to develop drugs. Biomedical engineering is turning to biomimetics for finding ways to synthesize and develop complex nanostructure and devices for medicine. The fields benefitted by this research include material sciences, molecular biology, plant biology, bioengineering and nanomedicine. The results of this research will be used to extend our departmental curricula into nanomedicine and biomimetics for biomedical engineering innovation, and to be integrated into one of the core biomedical engineering graduate courses entitled nano bio-systems and biomimetics. This project will also be used as a foundation for local educational outreach in middle and high schools, and to draw interest into interdisciplinary sciences at early ages. Already these studies have encouraged both graduate students and undergraduates working in the labs to take interdisciplinary courses. We expect to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum across the university with the goal of training an interdisciplinary core of researchers. The PI's lab commits strongly to minority student training.