LEAPS-MPS: Rational design of macromolecular assemblies controlled via plasmonic activation

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。LEAPS-MPS：通过等离子体激活控制的大分子组件的合理设计第1部分：非技术性总结在自然界中，光控制着大量的物理和生物过程。在合成系统中，使用光作为触发器来启动过程是有益的，因为它通常是生物兼容的，并且可以在时间和空间上很好地控制，特别是通过使用超快激光。这一提议寻求利用光来引发大分子的结构变化，例如DNA组装和分子储存室中的囊泡。囊泡之所以令人感兴趣，是因为它们提供了分隔内容物的能力，防止了与周围环境的相互作用；光诱导的结构破坏可以使其内容物按需释放。要做到这一点，光必须转化为热能或机械能，这可能会破坏周围的结构。这可以通过被称为纳米颗粒的小黄金颗粒独特的光敏特性来实现，有时只有几百个原子组成。DNA组件可以通过为纳米颗粒的放置提供支架来辅助这一过程。对这些相互作用的彻底研究有可能对生物技术和纳米技术的应用产生革命性的影响，例如药物输送，允许治疗药物在人体内的特定位置释放，以减少对健康组织或细胞的副作用。除了重要的科学应用外，这项提议的一个重要目标是为罗格斯大学卡姆登分校的学生提供体验式学习机会。在这个校园里，这样的机会对于增加第一代大学生以及认同STEM领域中通常代表不足的群体的学生的参与度至关重要。招聘、培训和指导将确保学生在未来的工业和学术界工作中具有很强的竞争力。位于新泽西州卡姆登中心的校园位置为周围社区的拓展提供了无与伦比的机会。为了实现这一目标，将启动一项名为MEDIA(会见特别多样化的包容性学者)的推广计划，来自罗格斯-卡姆登的一群不同的科学家将与小学生互动；该计划的目标是进行早期干预，以劝阻媒体经常描绘的常见科学家的性别和种族刻板印象，这些刻板印象可能会限制人们对科学研究的兴趣和后来的追求。技术SUMMARY等离子纳米粒子，如那些由金组成的纳米粒子，由于其独特的光学性质，具有作为光敏剂的巨大潜力，使它们能够强烈地吸收光，并将能量转换为局部响应；局部表面等离子体共振吸收波长可以很容易地通过大小、形状、组织和组成进行调整。这种等离子体反应可能会对周围环境造成热和/或机械破坏。这一假设认为，等离子体效应可以同时或单独破坏组成多聚体载体囊泡的两嵌段共聚物双层膜的局部组织，以及DNA折纸组装。这项工作的第一个目标是解决破坏的水平(即，部分与热解离)。在目标2中，将利用在目标1中获得的基本知识来合理设计聚合体-DNA异构体。将开发控制和检测每个组分的大分子组织的能力，以获得对脉冲辐射响应的解离、穿孔和货物释放的高时空控制。协同作用是，这项工作将为罗格斯-卡姆登的本科生、硕士和博士生打开许多培训机会的大门，创造一个机会、导师和生产力的层次结构。重点将放在招募和留住第一代大学生和STEM中代表性较低群体的学生，方法是提供有偿研究培训，并通过会议演讲等机会在科学界建立归属感。在新泽西州卡姆登当地社区的小学中，拟议的外展计划将通过一项名为MEDIA(会见特别多样化的包容性学者)的计划，努力抵消媒体对科学家的种族和性别刻板印象，从而确保STEM学者未来的多样性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). LEAPS-MPS: Rational design of macromolecular assemblies controlled via plasmonic activationPART 1: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYIn nature, light controls a large number of physical and biological processes. In synthetic systems, using light as a trigger to initiate processes is beneficial because it is often biocompatible, and can be well controlled in both time and space, especially through the use of ultrafast lasers. This proposal seeks to use light to trigger structural changes in macromolecules, such as in DNA assemblies and molecular storage compartments known as vesicles. Vesicles are of interest because they provide the ability to compartmentalize contents, preventing interaction with the surrounding environment; light-induced structural disruption could allow for their contents to be released on-demand. In order for this to happen, light must be converted into heat or mechanical energy which can disrupt surrounding structures. This can be achieved with the unique light-sensitive properties of small gold particles known as nanoparticles, sometimes only consisting of a few hundred atoms. DNA assemblies can assist in this process by providing a scaffold for nanoparticle placement. The thorough investigation of these interactions has the potential to be transformative for applications in biotechnology and nanotechnology, for example, drug-delivery, allowing for therapeutics to be released in a specific location within the body to reduce side effects in healthy tissues or cells. In addition to important scientific applications, a significant goal of this proposal is to provide experiential learning opportunities for students at Rutgers University-Camden. Such opportunities are essential on this campus, to increase engagement in the large population of first-generation college students as well as students who identify with groups commonly underrepresented in STEM fields. Recruitment, training, and mentoring will ensure that students become highly competitive for future endeavors in industry and academia. The campus location in the heart of Camden, NJ provides unmatched opportunities for outreach in the surrounding community. Towards this goal, an outreach program called MEDIA (Meeting Exceptional Diverse Inclusive Academics) will be launched, where a diverse group of scientists from Rutgers-Camden will interact with grade school students; the goal of this program is early intervention to dissuade common scientist gender and race stereotypes frequently portrayed by the media that can limit interest in and later pursuit of scientific study.TECHNICAL SUMMARYPlasmonic nanoparticles, such as those comprised of gold, hold great potential as photosensitizers due to their unique optical properties which allow them to strongly absorb light and convert that energy into a localized response; the localized surface plasmon resonance absorption wavelength can be readily tuned through size, shape, organization, and composition. This plasmonic response can result in thermal and/or mechanical disruptions to the surrounding environment. This proposal hypothesizes that plasmonic effects can disrupt both the local organization of both diblock copolymer bilayer membranes which make up polymersome carrier vesicles, as well as DNA origami assemblies, both together and individually. The first aim of this work proposes to address the level of disruptions (i.e., poration vs. thermal dissociation). In Aim 2, the fundamental knowledge acquired in Aim 1 will be used to rationally design polymersome-DNA heterovesicles. The ability to control and detect the macromolecular organization of each component will be developed, to gain high spatiotemporal control over dissociation, poration, and cargo release in response to pulsed irradiation. Synergistically, this work will open doors to many training opportunities for undergraduate, M.S., and Ph.D. students at Rutgers-Camden, creating a hierarchy of opportunity, mentorship, and productivity. A large emphasis will be on the recruitment and retention of first generation college students and students from groups underrepresented in STEM, by providing paid research training and creating a sense of belonging in the scientific community through opportunities such as conference presentations. Proposed outreach programs in grade schools in the local Camden, NJ community will ensure the future diversity of STEM scholars by working towards offsetting the commonly media portrayed racial and gender stereotypes of scientists, through a program entitled MEDIA (Meeting Exceptional Diverse Inclusive Academics).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.