MRI: Acquisition of an Atomic Force Microscope to Enhance Research and Student Research Training in Engineering, Biochemistry, Biology and Physics departments at SF State Univ

MRI：购买原子力显微镜以加强旧金山州立大学工程、生物化学、生物学和物理系的研究和学生研究培训

• 批准号: 1626611
• 负责人: Mojtaba Azadi Sohi
• 金额: $ 47.28万
• 依托单位: San Francisco State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1626611&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Atomic; Force; Microscope

This award, funded by the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI), brings new research and teaching capabilities to four Departments/schools at the College of Science and Engineering at San Francisco State University (SFSU) via acquisition of a multipurpose microscope (Bio-AFM). This instrument (Bio-AFM) combines two powerful microscopes: (1) a fluorescence microscope that provides detailed optical images of translucent biological samples, such as cells and soft tissues, and (2) an atomic force microscope (AFM) that provides high-resolution contour maps of samples as well as a broad range of physical properties, such as force, friction, and electric potential. The lack of quantitative techniques in biological sciences has forced researchers to use traditional assessment tools that are typically subjective or not completely quantitative. This instrument will close this gap by empowering development of new quantitative techniques to detect the small effect of medications and medical interventions that occur at the molecular and cellular scales. The techniques will allow researchers to study aging and genetic predisposition by accurately measuring their affects on physical properties of the tissues in micro and nano scales. The instrument will serve as a catalyst for stimulating interdisciplinary collaborations within the college as well as with external users and colleagues at universities, research organizations, and private industries across the Bay Area. The Bio-AFM serves as a critical pedagogical tool in interdepartmental courses designed to offer Masters and undergraduate students hands-on experiences. It will also expand opportunities for recruiting, retaining, and engaging students at a large, urban, comprehensive university with a significant population of individuals who are traditionally under-represented in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Exposure to this state-of-the-art imaging and data acquisition system will augment the training experiences of students and help prepare them for Ph.D. programs or professional careers.This award promotes a number of new collaborative research projects that will allow in-depth characterization of the mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of natural and engineered materials, as well as imaging of a wide variety of samples, ranging from soft biological tissues to hard metals. The instrument, with its uniquely integrated fluorescence microscope, cutting-edge actuation system, and advanced controls, will ensure the development of open source, quantitative assessment tools that enable any modern AFM to capture the comprehensive micro-mechanics and nano-dynamics of soft biomaterials by finding intrinsic bi-phasic characteristics including elasticity and permeability. Use of the Bio-AFM by SFSU researchers will also enable research advances in the following areas: detecting subtle effects of multiple biological factors such as age and genetic modification on the functions and mechanics of biological materials by using the force indentation tools of the AFM as well as the explained quantitative assessment tool; understanding the impact of different synthesis conditions on the formation and conductivity of polycrystalline thin films under ultraviolet illumination, commonly used in photoelectrochemical applications by using the conductive AFM technique; elucidating the effects of key fabrication parameters on the surface characteristics and mechanical properties of meso-scale materials for energy and filtration applications, by direct mapping and quantification of the surface roughness of electrospun fibers; investigating extracellular organelles synthesized by bacteria and measuring adhesive forces generated by these organelles using the AFM imaging capabilities and the integrated fluorescent microscope; and evaluating the strength of cell-cell interactions by detecting morphological changes and mapping the electrostatic surface potential by using the conductive AFM technique.

该奖项由主要研究仪器计划（MRI）资助，通过收购多功能显微镜（Bio-AFM）为旧金山弗朗西斯科州立大学（SFSU）科学与工程学院的四个部门/学校带来了新的研究和教学能力。该仪器（Bio-AFM）结合了两种强大的显微镜：（1）荧光显微镜，可提供半透明生物样品（如细胞和软组织）的详细光学图像，以及（2）原子力显微镜（AFM），可提供样品的高分辨率轮廓图以及广泛的物理特性，如力，摩擦力和电势。生物科学中定量技术的缺乏迫使研究人员使用传统的评估工具，这些工具通常是主观的或不完全定量的。该仪器将通过开发新的定量技术来缩小这一差距，以检测在分子和细胞尺度上发生的药物和医疗干预的微小影响。这些技术将使研究人员能够通过精确测量它们对微观和纳米尺度组织物理特性的影响来研究衰老和遗传易感性。该仪器将作为一种催化剂，刺激跨学科的合作，在学院内，以及与外部用户和同事在大学，研究机构，和整个湾区的私营企业。生物原子力显微镜作为跨部门课程的关键教学工具，旨在为硕士和本科生提供实践经验。它还将扩大在大型城市综合大学招聘，留住和吸引学生的机会，这些大学拥有大量传统上在科学，技术，工程和数学学科中代表性不足的个人。接触这种最先进的成像和数据采集系统将增加学生的培训经验，并帮助他们准备博士学位。该奖项促进了许多新的合作研究项目，这些项目将允许深入表征天然和工程材料的机械，电气和光学特性，以及从软生物组织到硬金属的各种样品的成像。该仪器，其独特的集成荧光显微镜，尖端的驱动系统和先进的控制，将确保开源，定量评估工具，使任何现代原子力显微镜捕捉全面的微观力学和纳米动态的软生物材料通过寻找内在的双相特性，包括弹性和渗透性的发展。 SFSU研究人员使用Bio-AFM还将在以下领域取得研究进展：通过使用AFM的力压痕工具以及解释的定量评估工具，检测多种生物因素（如年龄和遗传修饰）对生物材料功能和力学的微妙影响;了解紫外光照射下不同合成条件对多晶薄膜形成和导电性的影响，通常通过使用导电AFM技术用于光电化学应用;阐明了关键制造参数对用于能源和过滤应用的中尺度材料的表面特性和机械性能的影响，通过直接映射和量化静电纺丝纤维的表面粗糙度;研究由细菌合成的细胞外细胞器，并使用AFM成像能力和集成荧光显微镜测量这些细胞器产生的粘附力;以及通过使用导电AFM技术检测形态变化和绘制静电表面电位来评估细胞-细胞相互作用的强度。