A Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer and Microscope for Bionanomaterials Analysis

这笔赠款将用于提供研究级傅立叶变换红外(FT-IR)光谱仪和显微镜，使达尔豪西大学和圣玛丽大学的研究人员能够进行新的实验。红外光谱学可以对组成各种材料的原子和分子的确切状态进行深入的表征。所有7名共同申请者和他们目前的41名学员，从本科生到专业研究助理，将能够立即利用这一仪器：对各种生物(包括人类、真菌、植物、海洋有机体和蜘蛛)中生命至关重要的蛋白质的基础研究；开发基于蛋白质、其他天然衍生起始材料或合成聚合物的新材料；*该仪器将用于研究蛋白质，如蜘蛛丝、真菌外壳蛋白、植物的光合作用蛋白质、鱼类和其他生物在寒冷条件下生存所使用的抗冻蛋白质，以及支持许多生物细胞生长的细胞外基质蛋白质。对其他类别材料的研究也将成为可能，并将例行公事地进行，包括能够装载药物分子等货物的聚合物网络、使用自然启发的模板形成图案的金属、作为特定分子物种独特传感器的一部分而开发的材料；或者艺术品中的颜料。红外光谱和通过显微镜进行定位的能力提供了确定每一类蛋白质的折叠状态以及非蛋白质材料中的分子排列和结构的能力。这反过来又让我们直接了解到原子的错综复杂的排列，使每种类型的蛋白质或材料都能正确发挥作用。申请者正在利用这些类型的研究来设计和开发新的可生物降解和可持续的材料和传感器。*该仪器将安装在达尔豪西的生物物理分析设施中，便于所有共同申请者以及达尔豪西、圣玛丽和其他地方的许多其他研究人员使用。该仪器将由学生和其他高素质人员直接操作，作为其研究培训的一部分，每个人都将在实际使用仪器和对所产生的数据进行专家分析方面得到指导。

This grant will be used to provide a research-grade Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer and microscope allowing new experiments to be conducted by researchers at both Dalhousie University and Saint Mary's University. IR spectroscopy allows for in-depth characterization of the exact state of the atoms and molecules that make up a wide variety of materials. All seven co-applicants and their 41 current trainees, ranging from undergraduate student to professional research associate, will be able to immediately take advantage of this instrument for: fundamental studies of proteins critical for life in diverse organisms including humans, fungi, plants, marine oraganisms, and spiders; for development of novel materials based on proteins, other naturally-derived starting materials, or synthetic polymers; and, for development of new sustainable and cost-effective molecular sensor technologies.******This instrument will be used to study proteins, such as spider silks, fungal coat proteins, photosynthetic proteins from plants, antifreeze proteins employed by fish and other organisms to survive in cold conditions, and extracellular matrix proteins that support cell growth in many organisms. Studies of other classes of material will also be enabled and routinely carried out, including polymeric networks capable of being loaded with cargos such as drug molecules, metals patterned using naturally-inspired templates, materials developed as part of unique sensors for specific molecular species; or, pigments in artwork. IR spectroscopy and the ability to carry this out as a function of location through microscopy provides the capability to determine the folded states for each of these classes of protein and the molecular arrangement and structuring in non-protein materials. This, in turn, gives direct insight into the intricate arrangement of atoms that allows each type of protein or material to function correctly. These types of study are being employed by the applicants to engineer and develop new biodegradable and sustainable materials and sensors. ******This instrument will be installed in the Biophysical Analysis Facility at Dalhousie, providing ready access to all of the co-applicants and to many other researchers at Dalhousie, Saint Mary's and beyond. This instrument will be operated directly by students and other highly qualified personnel as a part of their research training, each of whom will be mentored in hands-on use of the instrumentation and in expert analysis of the resulting data.