Study of Plasmon-Assisted Cell Transfection

在这个项目中，PI将结合物理学和生命科学的技术和专业知识来推进基础知识，并提供基因和药物传递的新技术。提出的方法是基于等离子体介导的细胞转染。飞秒激光转染细胞是一种有吸引力的替代方法；然而，这项技术目前仅限于单细胞转染。PI将通过使用等离子体器件来解决高通量、低毒性和高效率的DNA递送到细胞的重要目标，等离子体器件在超快激光照射时具有微米大小的极端局部场增强点，以穿孔细胞膜。通过对电场增强、底物制造、光等离子体-细胞相互作用和DNA扩散进行平行理论建模，该项目将提供一个强大的工具，广泛适用于多种细胞系的转染。本项目提出的方法将解决具有挑战性的遗传学问题，并在遗传学领域，更广泛地说，在涉及转染的任何生物医学研究中具有变革性影响的潜力。它将使遗传载体高效、安全、高通量导入哺乳动物细胞成为可能。这是研究和优化基因表达修饰的第一步。同时，它将为光介导的转染机制提供进一步的见解。这项工作还将通过对本科生和研究生的研究型教育，为未来多学科科学家的教育和培训做出贡献。这项工作将广泛传播给公众。

In this project the PI will combine techniques and expertise from physics and the life sciences to advance fundamental knowledge and providing a new technique for gene and drug delivery. The proposed approach is based on plasmon-mediated cell transfection. Cell transfection by femtosecond laser is an attractive alternative; however, this technique is currently limited to single-cell transfection. The PI will address the important goal of high-throughput, low-toxicity, and high-efficiency DNA delivery to cells by using plasmon devices that possess micrometer-sized points of extreme local field enhancements to porate cell membranes when irradiated by an ultrafast laser. By running parallel theoretical modeling of the field enhancement, fabrication of the substrates, and experimental analysis of the light-plasmon-cell interaction and DNA diffusion, the project will provide a powerful tool with broad applicability to transfection of numerous cell lines. The method proposed in this project will address challenging genetics questions and has the potential for transformative impact in the field of genetics and, more broadly, any biomedical research involving transfection. It will enable efficient, safe, and high-throughput introduction of genetic vectors into mammalian cells. This is the first step toward studying and optimizing the modification of genetic expression. Simultaneously, it will provide further insight in the light mediated transfection mechanisms. This work will also contribute to the education and the training of future multidisciplinary scientists through research-based education of undergraduate and graduate students. The work will be broadly disseminated to the general public.