CAREER: Nano-Plasmon Ruler Imaging for Direct Visualization of How Cells "Talk"

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The immune system consists of many types of cells that defend the body against disease. Measuring how these immune cells communicate with each other is important for understanding immune response. Currently, there are no available tools that can measure and track chemical signals secreted by immune cells in real-time. The proposed research will address this challenge by establishing an imaging system based on engineered nanomaterials. The investigators supported by this award will develop a novel biosensor to directly study how immune cells “talk” to each other via chemical signals. The new knowledge gained by this project in immune communication will help advance immune disease screening and diagnosis technologies. New education experiences developed as part of this award will train K-12, undergraduate and graduate students about bioengineering and nanotechnology. Learning activities and public events will be performed to increase the public interests in material science and biotechnology.Intercellular biochemical communication occurs via cell-secreted signaling molecules. Communication between immune cells is complex and transient. Measuring the timing and spatial distribution of signaling events is critical to understanding immune response; however, current methodologies are limited, measuring target biomarkers under static and quasi-static conditions. The goal of this NSF CAREER project is to understand immune cytokine communication via direct real-time mapping of multiple cytokine secretion from individual immune cells. To accomplish this, a gold nano-particle and DNA aptamer based nanoplasmon ruler biosensor will be developed. Parameters governing the physiochemical properties and assembly of required nanomaterials will be explored and guide the fabrication of the sensor. Model T-cell lines will be co-cultured with model dendritic cells, B lymphocytes, and neutrophils and cross-talk between cell pairs will be directly imaged following stimulation of cytokine release.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.