PFI: Establishing an Open Forum for Innovation in Advanced Fluorescent Microspectroscopy Technology for Molecular Imaging in Living Cells

威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校（UWM）的这个创新合作伙伴项目专注于快速采集速度光谱分辨双光子显微镜（SR-TPM）领域的创新，以及用于研究，诊断和药物筛选应用的生物标志物和标记抗体的识别。 作为PFI项目的一部分，将建立一个开放式创新论坛（OFI），以开发和指导与SR-TPM技术开发和应用相关的几个领域的概念验证实验：（1）高光谱分辨率和高采集速度成像扫描仪，（2）光纤激光器替代当前的固态激光器，和（3）用于检测体内蛋白质之间的瞬时相互作用、鉴定稀有细胞类型的新生物标志物和标记抗体研究人员正在研究体液中的癌细胞（如循环癌细胞），并开发用于药物筛选的细胞信号传导途径的活细胞测定法。这项研究的更广泛的影响是：（1）扩大SR-TPM的客户群，目前以细胞生物学家为代表，包括生物化学家和药物研究人员;（2）将光纤激光器产品更广泛地引入显微镜市场;（3）扩大快速采集速度光谱分辨荧光显微镜的应用，包括靶向诊断和治疗的开发。 该团队满足这些需求的能力将通过提供超过现有产品的产品能力，显着扩大美国在扫描荧光显微镜市场的存在。 将进行的概念验证实验将直接涉及研究生，本科生和博士后研究人员，他们将与来自知识增强合作伙伴公司的顾问和实验室科学家一起工作。 为了增加大学的创新能力，并在该项目的执行期间创建UWM成长的科学家-企业家骨干，OFI将发展成为UWM大学-小企业合作实验室（UWM-USBC），这将提供资源和网络机会，其成员调查，建立一个网关，为企业UWM开发的技术，并促进PFI项目领导人作为UWM内部知识转移的榜样，在东南威斯康星州地区，并在美国合作伙伴在项目开始时包括知识增强伙伴关系（KEP）单位，包括UWM（文学与科学学院（通过其物理系）和威斯康星大学-密尔沃基研究生院），以及三个小企业：Aurora Spectral Technologies，LLC（密尔沃基，WI）、Neoplone Biotechnology International，LLC（麦迪逊，WI）和PolarOnyx，Inc. (San Jose，CA）。 此外，还有其他核心合作伙伴。其中包括私营部门组织：Brandt Innovative Technologies，Inc.（佩沃基，WI）和UWM Research Foundation，Inc.（UWMRF，密尔沃基，WI）。 此外，两个工业合作者和潜在的最终用户：MetriTrack，LLC（希尔赛德，IL）和AndroBioSys，Inc.（布法罗，纽约）]，以及来自多伦多大学和威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的学术合作者和潜在终端用户，已经表达了参与OFI的强烈兴趣。

This Partnerships for Innovation project from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) focuses on innovation in the area of fast-acquisition-speed spectrally resolved two-photon microscopy (SR-TPM) and identification of biomarkers and labeled antibodies for use in research, diagnostics, and drug screening applications. As part of the PFI project, an Open Forum for Innovation (OFI) will be established to develop and guide proof-of-concept experiments in several areas related to SR-TPM technology development and applications: (1) high-spectral resolution and high-acquisition speed imaging scanners, (2) fiber laser alternatives to current solid-state lasers, and (3) novel biomarkers and labeled antibodies for detecting transient interactions between proteins in vivo, identifying rare cell types (such as circulating cancer cells) in body fluids, and developing living cell assays for cell signaling pathways to be used for drug screening. The broader impacts of this research are (1) expansion of the SR-TPM customer base, currently represented by cellular biologists, to include both biochemists and drug researchers; (2) introduction of fiber laser products more broadly to the microscopy market; and (3) expansion of applications of fast-acquisition speed spectrally resolved fluorescence microscopy to include development of targeted diagnostics and therapeutics. This team's ability to address such needs would significantly expand the U.S. presence in the scanning fluorescent microscope market, by providing product capabilities that exceed those of existing products. Proof-of-concept experiments to be conducted will directly involve graduate, undergraduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who will work alongside consultants and lab scientists from theknowledge-enhancement partner companies. To add to the university's innovation capacity and create a cadre of UWM-grown scientist-entrepreneurs during the performance period of this project, OFI will evolve into a UWM University-Small Businesses Collaboratory (UWM-USBC), which will offer resources and networking opportunities to its member investigators, establish a gateway for businesses to UWM-developed technology, and promote the PFI project leaders as role models for knowledge transfer within UWM, in the Southeast Wisconsin area, and in the U.S.Partners at the inception of the project include the Knowledge Enhancement Partnership (KEP) unit, consisting of UWM (College of Letters and Science (through its Department of Physics) and the Graduate School at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), and three small businesses: Aurora Spectral Technologies, LLC (Milwaukee, WI), NeoClone Biotechnology International, LLC (Madison, WI), and PolarOnyx, Inc. (San Jose, CA). In addition, there are other core partners. These include private sector organizations: Brandt Innovative Technologies, Inc. (Pewaukee, WI) and the UWM Research Foundation, Inc. (UWMRF, Milwaukee, WI). In addition, two industrial collaborators and potential end users: MetriTrack, LLC (Hillside, IL) and AndroBioSys, Inc. (Buffalo, NY)], as well as academic collaborators and potential end users from the University of Toronto and University of Wisconsin-Madison, have already expressed strong interest in participating in the OFI.