MRI: Acquisition of an Integrated Bionanomaterials Characterization and Imaging System for Research and Education Initiatives in Bioengineering

该奖项将用于购买生物/纳米材料表征和成像系统，该系统将由北德克萨斯州的七个学术研究机构使用。该仪器提供了多功能的能力，通过集成共焦激光扫描显微镜（CLSM），原子力显微镜（AFM），和数字光处理（DLP）。这个新系统将使20个研究小组能够在周围空气和液体环境中通过光学，电学，机械和热刺激对合成和生物纳米/微结构进行材料成像，操作和性能测量。这些设备将被安置在南卫理公会大学校园的生物、驱动、传感和运输实验室，该实验室位于达拉斯-沃斯堡大都会区的中心位置。研究生和本科生将在这个最先进的设施中接受培训，使学生能够为研究生物细胞和有机/无机纳米/微观结构奠定丰富的基础。拟议的成像仪器将有利于一些正在进行的研究项目。DLP系统将提供完全可控的光模式，CLSM-AFM系统将提高生物和合成材料的性能测量能力。CLSM-AFM-DLP的使用将扩大分子动力学，细菌群，鞭毛力学，生物启发的机器人技术，生物细胞和材料的介电和机械性能的测定，激光辅助微/纳米纤维，以及成像活性氧，氮和硫物种的研究能力。该仪器可以为自然启发的技术带来重要发现，并使未来的研究能够在各个领域进行：1）有机/无机纳米/微米结构的先进成像和性质测量，2）用于活细胞成像的空间光调制技术，3）在液-固界面处的一些低能表面的热传递和润湿性，和4）生物模板先进纳米结构的电学研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is to purchase a bio/nanomaterials characterization and imaging system, which will be used by seven North Texas academic research institutions. The proposed instrument offers multi-functional capabilities by integrating a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and digital light processing (DLP). This new system will enable 20 research groups to perform material imaging, manipulation, and property measurements of synthetic and biological nano/microstructures with optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal stimulations in both ambient air and liquid environments. The equipment will be housed at the Biological, Actuation, Sensing, and Transport Laboratory on Southern Methodist University campus, a centralized location in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Graduate and undergraduate students will be trained in this state-of-the-art facility, allowing students to build a rich foundation for studying biological cells and organic/inorganic nano/microstructures. The proposed imaging instrument will benefit a number of ongoing research projects. The DLP system will provide fully controllable patterns of light, where the CLSM-AFM system will improve the capability of property measurement of biological and synthetic materials. The use of the CLSM-AFM-DLP will broaden the capability of research in molecular dynamics, bacterial swarms, flagellar mechanics, biologically-inspired robotics, determination of dielectric and mechanical properties of biological cells and materials, laser-assisted micro/nanofabrication, and imaging reactive oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur species. This instrument can lead to important findings for nature-inspired technology and enable future research in various areas: 1) advanced imaging and property measurement of organic/inorganic nano/microstructures, 2) spatial light modulated techniques for live cell imaging, 3) thermal transport and wettability of some low energy surfaces at the liquid-solid interface, and 4) electrical investigation of bio-templated advanced nanostructures.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.