MRI Consortium: Acquisition of a Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting System for Multidisciplinary Research and Education

MRI 联盟：获取用于多学科研究和教育的时间相关单光子计数系统

• 批准号: 1428298
• 负责人: Gon Namkoong
• 金额: $ 14.7万
• 依托单位: Old Dominion University Research Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-09-01 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1428298&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Consortium; Acquisition; Time; Correlated

This Major Research Instrumentation consortium grant will allow for the purchase of a time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) system to support active scientific research, training and educational programs in Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, and Photovoltaic technology. This TCSPC system has the capability to measure critical information on the transient lifetime of electrical charges at the picosecond to microsecond time-scale, while providing the ability to visualize the physical and chemical processes of polymers, nanoparticles, cells and semiconductors in a controlled atmosphere and at varying temperatures. These crucial functions will enable faculty and students to collect critical scientific data and provide key insights into nanoscale level of understanding of physical and chemical processes. These insights will be used for the development of new neural sensors, biomedical imaging tools, drug delivery agents, and new energy conversion/storage technologies for a sustainable future. The acquisition of this system will significantly enhance research and educational collaboration in the Hampton Roads area, VA. In addition, this system will be used to promote research and learning experiences for students, particularly assisting underrepresented minority groups to pursue advanced degrees in Science and Engineering. The acquisition of a state-of-the-art TCSPC system aims to greatly broaden the scope of research and foster multidisciplinary research collaborations in many different research areas, while promoting student training programs. The TCSPC offers advanced features including: i) in-situ time-resolved lifetime, ii) temperature control from -25 to 150 aC, iii) 2D time-resolved fluorescence images with extremely high-resolution morphologies, and iv) the low excitation levels required to maintain bio-cell viability and avoid photo-bleaching. These enhanced capabilities will revolutionize our understanding and advance dynamic characteristics of a wide range of applications used for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. In particular, the acquisition of this TCSPC system will greatly enhance our core research areas of 1) Biotechnology, 2) Nanofabrication and technology, and 3) Photovoltaic Technology. The system will be housed and regularly maintained at the Applied Research Center (ARC) of ODU, and open to all of the research community, fulfilling a critical and growing need for both education and research in Virginia¡¦s Hampton Roads area. The easy access to this instrument will contribute not only to research in the areas of nanotechnology, biology and energy but also to the training of graduate and undergraduate students. To promote teaching, training, and learning, this instrument will effectively be used to enhance the scope of several courses, by adding hands-on experiences on biomaterials, nanomaterials, semiconductor process/characterization and photovoltaics.

这笔重大研究仪器联盟的赠款将允许购买与时间相关的单光子计数(TCSPC)系统，以支持生物技术、纳米技术和光伏技术方面的积极科学研究、培训和教育项目。该TCSPC系统能够在皮秒到微秒的时间尺度上测量电荷瞬时寿命的关键信息，同时能够可视化聚合物、纳米颗粒、电池和半导体在受控气氛和不同温度下的物理和化学过程。这些关键功能将使教职员工和学生能够收集关键的科学数据，并提供对物理和化学过程的纳米级理解的关键见解。这些见解将被用于开发新的神经传感器、生物医学成像工具、药物递送剂和新的能源转换/存储技术，以实现可持续的未来。收购该系统将大大加强弗吉尼亚州汉普顿路地区的研究和教育合作。此外，这个系统将被用来促进学生的研究和学习经验，特别是帮助代表不足的少数群体攻读科学和工程方面的高级学位。收购最先进的TCSPC系统旨在极大地拓宽研究范围，促进在许多不同研究领域的多学科研究合作，同时促进学生培训计划。TCSPC提供的先进功能包括：i)原位时间分辨寿命，ii)-25至150 ac的温度控制，iii)具有极高分辨率形貌的2D时间分辨荧光图像，以及iv)维持生物细胞活力和避免光漂白所需的低激发水平。这些增强的能力将彻底改变我们的理解，并促进用于多学科和跨学科研究的广泛应用的动态特征。特别是，收购这一TCSPC系统将极大地增强我们的核心研究领域，1)生物技术，2)纳米制造和技术，3)光伏技术。该系统将安置在北京外国语大学的应用研究中心，并进行定期维护，并向所有研究社区开放，以满足弗吉尼亚州S汉普顿路地区日益增长的教育和研究需求。这一仪器的容易获得不仅有助于纳米技术、生物学和能源领域的研究，而且还将有助于培养研究生和本科生。为了促进教学、培训和学习，将通过增加生物材料、纳米材料、半导体工艺/表征和光伏的实践经验，有效地利用这一工具扩大几门课程的范围。