Separations with Reversible Nanogels

在化学系化学测量和成像项目的支持下，以及化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统系化学和生物分离（CBS）项目的共同资助下，西弗吉尼亚大学的丽莎·霍兰德教授和她的团队正在开发一种用于化学分离的热可逆、自组装磷脂纳米凝胶。 这些纳米凝胶是一种新材料，具有前所未有的分离复杂生物分子混合物的能力。 该材料的全方位应用将通过确定材料在不同条件下的流体特性以及记录包括DNA、肽、蛋白质和碳水化合物在内的标准生物聚合物组的分离性能来表征。 待开发的技术将直接影响许多领域的研究，这些领域依赖于基于电泳和微尺度分离的测定来识别样品中存在的生物分子以及浓度。 这项研究间接影响了其他领域利用磷脂的结构分析，核磁共振，作为仿生涂层，作为模板的制造，并为膜蛋白功能的调查。 最后，自组装磷脂纳米凝胶作为一种模型智能材料，其材料特性在不同的环境条件下发生变化。 该奖项所促进的教学、培训和学习为人力资源提供了宝贵的支持。 参与创新研究和跨学科研究经验的研究生将获得博士学位，并进入具有跨科学学科工作能力的劳动力队伍。 参与该项目的研究生研究人员在生物分析，材料科学，流体动力学和生物分子的微尺度分离方面获得了宝贵的培训。 此外，微流体装置形式的微流系统将适用于中学科学课堂。 这一级的科学教育有利于年轻学生，因为他们开始职业认同的过程。 将制定与教学目标相一致的课程，以支持科学课程。 课程和微流实验将通过地方和国家介绍、教学讲习班以及向国家科学基金会资助的国家科学数字图书馆提交材料集进行传播，以便在网上免费查阅。

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, and co-funding from the Chemical and Biological Separations (CBS) Program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, Professor Lisa Holland and her group at West Virginia University are developing a thermally-reversible, self-assembled, phospholipid nanogel for chemical separations. These nanogels are a new material with unprecedented ability to separate mixtures of complex biomolecules. The full range of applications for this material will be characterized by determining the fluidic properties of the material under different conditions and by recording the separation performance for standard sets of biopolymers including DNA, peptides, proteins, and carbohydrates. The technology to be developed will directly affect research in many fields that rely on electrophoretic and micro-scale separation based assays to identify the biomolecule present in the sample as well as the concentration. The research indirectly influences other fields utilizing phospholipids for structural analyses by nuclear magnetic resonance, as biomimetic coatings, as templates for fabrication, and for the investigation of membrane protein function. Finally, self-assembled phospholipid nanogels serve as a model smart-material for which the material properties change under different environmental conditions. The teaching, training, and learning fostered under this award lead to valuable support of human resources. Graduate students who participate in innovative research and interdisciplinary research experiences will earn PhD degrees and enter the workforce with the ability to work across scientific disciplines. The graduate researchers engaged in this project gain valuable training in bioanalyses, material science, fluid dynamics, and micro-scale separations of biological molecules. In addition, micro-flow systems in the form of microfluidic devices will be adapted for the middle school science classroom. Science education at this level benefits young students as they begin the process of career identity. Lessons will be developed that align with teaching objectives to support the science curricula. The curricula and micro-flow experiments will be disseminated through local and national presentations, by means of a teaching workshop, and by submitting the material as a collection to the NSF funded National Science Digital Library so that is it freely available on-line.