Microlaser Biosensor with Integrated Dual Beam Optical Trap

一个新兴的跨学科研究领域是系统生物学。 该领域正在研究单个生物细胞如何在内部和细胞之间进行通信。 这些通信途径类似于复杂的电路，其中细胞通信机制是级联的，同时产生多个信号。 解开这些平行信号可能非常复杂，需要研究人员研究单个细胞，而不是大群细胞或细胞系。 然而，许多目前可用的分析技术需要高浓度的细胞，因此不能提供结论性的结果。 不幸的是，现有的几个单细胞实验技术需要荧光标记，使他们不适合监测细胞与细胞的通信在real-time.Intellectual Merit：本研究的主要重点是开发一种仪器，可以窃听细胞通信，在单细胞水平和使用它来研究人类主动脉血管细胞。 通过将光阱或光子钳与超灵敏检测器集成，将有可能实时检测主动脉血管细胞信号行为的变化。 在单细胞水平实时进行这些研究的能力是不可能的，与目前的最先进的方法。 这项技术可以应用于许多生物系统和细胞系，进一步扩大其对生物研究的影响。 更广泛的影响：培训所有年龄段的未来科学家和工程师是该项目的一个关键组成部分。除了将由该项目支持的研究生之外，几名本科生研究人员将参与该项目的不同方面，他们的津贴是通过南加州大学的本科生研究基金和科学与工程妇女（WiSE）计划提供的。 他们将有机会在南加州大学10级洁净室和电子显微镜中心学习最先进的仪器和制造方法。 此外，参加南加州大学NSF教师研究经验（RET）计划的高中教师也将为这项研究做出贡献。 研究结果将在专业会议上发表，并发表在同行评议的期刊上，设备将向初中和高中的实验室参观者展示。

An emerging interdisciplinary research area is systems biology. This field is investigating how individual biological cells communicate, both internally and between cells. These communication pathways are similar to a complex electrical circuit, in which the cell communication mechanism is a cascade, with multiple signals being generated simultaneously. Untangling these parallel signals can be extremely complicated, requiring researchers to study single cells instead of large groups or ensembles of cells. However, many of the currently available analytical techniques require a high concentration of cells and consequently are unable to provide a conclusive result. Unfortunately, the few existing single cell experimental techniques require fluorescent labeling, making them unsuited for monitoring cell to cell communication in real-time.Intellectual Merit:The primary focus of this research is to develop an instrument which can eavesdrop on cellular communications, at the single cell level and use it to study human aortic vascular cells. By integrating an optical trap, or a photon tweezer, with an ultra-sensitive detector, it will be possible to detect the change in the signaling behavior of the aortic vascular cells in real-time. The ability to perform these studies in real-time at the single cell level is not possible with the current state-of-the-art methods. This technology can be applied to numerous biological systems and cell lines, further expanding its impact on biological research. Broader Impacts:The training future scientists and engineers at all age levels is a critical component of this project. In addition to the graduate student who will be supported by this project, several undergraduate researchers whose stipends are provided through USC's Undergraduate Research Fund and the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Program will be involved in different aspects of this project. They will have the opportunity to learn state-of-the-art instrumentation and fabrication methods in USC's Class 10 cleanroom and electron microscopy center. Additionally, high school teachers who are participating in an NSF Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program at USC will also contribute to this research. Results will be presented at professional conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals, and the equipment will be demonstrated to middle school and high school visitors to the laboratory.