Sense-of-Scale: The use of mixed-scale systems for rare biomarker analysis

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TITLE: Biotechnology Resource Center of BioModular Multi-scale Systems (CBM2) for Precision Medicine Training and Dissemination: Sense-of-Scale: The use of mixed-scale systems for rare biomarker analysis Abstract/Summary The Center of BioModular Multi-Scale Systems for Precision Medicine (CBM2) seeks to develop innovative mixed-scale tools for the analysis of liquid biopsy markers that aid in managing patients' diseases by identifying appropriate clinical treatment strategies that benefit patients guided by the molecular composition of their disease. This approach, known as ”Precision Medicine,” will be the focus of the Center's Training and Dissemination (T&D) efforts by leveraging the compelling research taking place under the umbrella of the Center's Technology Research and Development (TR&D) projects. The Center will participate in training and educating patrons (i.e., non-Center affiliated researchers, collaborators, students, physicians, and potential industry partners) on Center technologies, “How to Make It”, and “How to Use It.” Findings and discoveries stemming from the TR&Ds will be efficiently disseminated into the scientific community and to physicians involved in clinical research. CBM2 will take advantage of existing resources within the Center's affiliated institutions (KU, UNC, and LSU) to familiarize the biomedical community with its extensive capabilities; an example includes state-of-the-art nanofabrication resources located at all three campuses. Dissemination of Center discoveries will be enhanced by compelling publications, patents, and the formation of startups around Center IP. The Center will educate a non-scientific community on the subject of Precision Medicine and the benefits it offers in terms of the improvement of patient care and disease management. Dissemination will follow traditional routes and those not so traditional, such as publications and presentations at national/international meetings as well as a robust website, social media, and online instructional videos. Our visiting scholar program to engage non-affiliated researchers in the Center's TR&D projects will facilitate dissemination. The common theme of the Center's T&D efforts will be, “Sense-of-Scale: the use of mixed-scale systems for rare biomarker analysis”. CBM2's objectives in training will be to convey the message that biological systems (i.e., liquid biopsy markers such as cfDNA, miRNA, proteins, EVs, and cells) span many sizes and that biotechnology research frequently involves experiments that must link different biological length scales together to realize the delivery of effective integrated systems for their analysis. Training efforts will involve discussions on defining research areas based on the characteristic size of the biological system of interest and time-scales of relevant phenomena (i.e., reactions, separations, diffusion) under investigation. T&D events will seek to answer questions related to differences between processes that take place in a micro- and nano-scale environment. How does biology differ when executed below tens of micrometers or nanometers? Can these processes be modeled? How can observables in different length scales be used for designing fluidic systems with different sizes? Hands- on experiments will be designed that will convey to parties the size of cells, EVs, and DNA and how devices can be developed to analyze them.