NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011

这一行动为2011财年NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金提供了资金，扩大了参与范围。该奖学金支持在东道主实验室为该研究员制定的研究和培训计划，该研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与度的计划。胡安·吉拉尔多的这项研究和培训计划的标题是“碳纳米管作为传感器，用于了解植物中的糖运输和信号。”这项研究的主办机构是麻省理工学院，赞助科学家是迈克尔·斯特拉诺博士。糖是调节植物生长发育的关键信号分子。到目前为止，还没有直接确定植物活细胞中糖的浓度和位置的技术。碳纳米管已被证明可以检测动物细胞中的糖和其他关键生物分子。这些纳米传感器在近红外线发光，不漂白，能够通过活组织检测单个颗粒。这项研究开发了这项新技术来研究植物细胞中的糖运输和信号，揭示了鲜为人知的糖通过植物维管系统运输的途径，并测试了它们作为调节开花开始的信号的假设作用。培训目标包括获得纳米制造和纳米尺度成像方面的新技术。用于植物的糖纳米传感器的发展有望在纳米技术和植物生物学的界面上开辟一个新的科学领域。植物纳米传感器有望在田间条件下监测与作物产量相关的关键因素，如植物糖和营养状况。其他更广泛的影响包括指导学生，通过在麻省理工学院博物馆的讲座进行公众宣传，以及与哥伦比亚的K-12学校社区举行在线视频会议。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Juan Giraldo is "Carbon nanotubes as sensors for understanding sugar transport and signaling in plants." The host institution for this research is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Michael Strano.Sugars are key signaling molecules that regulate growth and development in plants. To date there are no techniques for directly determining the concentration and location of sugars in living cells of plants. Carbon nanotubes have been shown to detect sugars such as glucose and other key biological molecules in animal cells. These nanosensors emit light in the near infrared, do not photobleach, and enable single particle detection through living tissue. This research develops this new technique for studying sugar transport and signaling in plant cells, unveiling the poorly understood pathways of sugar movement through the vascular system of plants, and testing their hypothesized role as signals regulating the onset of flowering. Training objectives include acquiring new techniques in nanofabrication and imaging at nanoscales. Development of sugar nanosensors for plants promises a new field of science at the interface of nanotechnology and plant biology. Plant nanosensors are expected to be capable of monitoring key factors associated with crop yield, such as plant sugar and nutrient status, under field conditions. Additional broader impacts include mentoring students, public outreach through lectures at the MIT Museum, and online videoconferences to K-12 school communities in Colombia.