CREST: Center for Biological Signature and Sensing

生物签名和传感中心在国家科学基金会的支持下，菲斯克大学将建立生物签名和传感中心。该中心将在用于生物应用的生物、化学和核传感器领域开展跨学科合作研究。最主要的主题是开发新型生物传感器，以满足各种生物测试需求。中心的工作被组织成三个研究子项目，由自然科学家组成的多学科团队与数学家和计算机科学家合作开发或调整新工具来解决备受瞩目的生物学问题。多巴胺能神经元广泛存在于动物界，负责基本的生物功能，如运动控制、认知功能和行为。对这些信号成分的调控和转录调控知之甚少。子项目1的研究人员将检验这样一种假设，即组合转录网络分析的方法、响应于附加刺激或遗传变异的微流体学工具以及数学/计算建模将导致获得有价值的新知识并提出新的研究问题以更好地理解多巴胺能神经元的功能。锰作为辅因子、蛋白质结构的结构稳定器和信号转导的信使在许多生物过程中是必不可少的。通过将生物化学、聚合物合成和微流变学相结合，子项目2的研究人员将开发一种传感器，以揭示锰在基本细胞过程中的基本作用，并优化该传感器以监测环境中的重金属。生物应用中使用的传统核传感设备依赖于检测技术，这些检测技术仍然使用大型笨拙的闪烁体和基于光电倍增管的仪器。子项目3将整合核、聚合物化学、计算和数学优化，以开发和利用用于生物应用的新型辐射传感器。生物签名和传感中心将作为一个研究和教育场所，为未被充分代表的少数族裔社区学院的学生过渡到菲斯克大学的四年制学位课程，提供体验式学习，以支持作为STEM专业和STEM职业生涯的参与。辅导和创新的学习模块将确保代表不足的少数群体人才成功地从社区学院转到博士学位，从而成为全国复制的典范。

Center for Biological Signature and SensingWith National Science Foundation support, Fisk University, will establish the Center for Biological Signature and Sensing. The Center will conduct collaborative interdisciplinary research in the area of biological, chemical, and nuclear sensors for biological applications. The overarching theme is the development of novel biosensors to address a variety of biological testing needs. Center efforts are organized into three research subprojects that engage multidisciplinary teams of natural scientists partnering with mathematicians and computer scientists to develop or adapt new tools to solve high profile biological problems.Dopaminergic neurons are found throughout the animal kingdom and are responsible for fundamental biological functions such as motor control, cognitive function, and behavior. Little is known about the modulation and transcriptional regulation of these signaling components. Subproject 1 researchers will test the hypothesis that the approach of combined transcriptional network analysis, microfluidics tools for sensing changes in response to added stimuli or genetic variation, and mathematical/ computational modeling will result in gaining valuable new knowledge and pose new research questions towards a better understanding of dopaminergic neuron function.Manganese is essential for numerous biological processes as a cofactor, structural stabilizer of protein structure, and messenger of signal transduction. By integrating biochemistry, polymer synthesis, and microfluidics, Subproject 2 researchers will develop a sensor to reveal the fundamental role of manganese in essential cellular processes and optimize this sensor for monitoring heavy metals in the environment.Traditional nuclear sensing devices employed in biological applications rely on detection technologies that are still performed with large, awkward scintillator and photomultiplier tube-based instrumentation. Subproject 3 will integrate nuclear, polymer chemistry, computation, and mathematical optimization to develop and utilize novel radiation sensors for biological applications. The Center for Biological Signature and Sensing will serve as a research and education venue for transitioning under-represented minority Community College students to a four-year degree program at Fisk University with experiential learning that sustains participation as STEM majors and in STEM careers. Mentoring together with innovative learning modules, will assure a successful pathway of under-represented minority talent moving from Community College through the Ph.D, and thus serve as a model for national replication.