Emergency Replacement of a Piezoelectric Positioner for a High-Resolution Single Molecule Atomic Force Microscope

紧急更换高分辨率单分子原子力显微镜压电定位器

• 批准号: RTI-2022-00566
• 负责人: Li, Hongbin
• 金额: $ 3.44万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=742973
• 关键词: Emergency; Replacement; Piezoelectric; Positioner; Resolution

This equipment grant will allow the applicant to purchase an emergency replacement of a piezoelectric positioner for a custom-built high-resolution atomic force microscope (AFM), for characterizing the nanomechanical properties of proteins and folding-unfolding dynamics of proteins at the single molecule level. This custom-built AFM was specifically designed for single molecule force spectroscopy studies of proteins and had been the main and essential research tool for our research program. Our research program is focused on developing single molecule force spectroscopy-based enabling technologies to address challenges in life sciences and material sciences; and rationally tailoring mechanical properties of protein-based biomaterials by programming the molecular sequence, and thus nanomechanical properties, of elastomeric proteins at the single-molecule level. The proposed piezoelectric positioner, which is the key component of the AFM, is to replace a failed one in our custom built AFM setup. The breakdown of this piezoelectric positioner has completely disabled our AFM setup since December of 2020 and significantly impacted our research program, as many experiments can no longer be carried out. This replacement will allow us to fully repair our AFM setup, and re-establish this state-of-the-art research facility in UBC. This fully repaired AFM setup will restore our ability to run some of the most advanced measurements in the field of single molecule force spectroscopy, and the obtained knowledge will significantly advance our understanding of the folding mechanism of proteins at the single molecule level, and rational design of biomaterials with tailored mechanical properties using a bottom-up approach.

该设备赠款将允许申请人购买定制的高分辨率原子力显微镜（AFM）的压电定位器的紧急更换，用于表征蛋白质的纳米力学特性和蛋白质在单分子水平上的折叠-展开动力学。这种定制的AFM是专门为蛋白质的单分子力谱研究而设计的，是我们研究计划的主要和必要的研究工具。我们的研究计划专注于开发基于单分子力谱的使能技术，以应对生命科学和材料科学的挑战;并通过编程分子序列合理定制基于蛋白质的生物材料的机械性能，从而在单分子水平上弹性蛋白质的纳米机械性能。建议压电定位器，这是原子力显微镜的关键组成部分，是为了取代失败的一个在我们定制的原子力显微镜设置。自2020年12月以来，该压电定位器的故障已完全禁用我们的AFM设置，并严重影响了我们的研究计划，因为许多实验无法再进行。这次更换将使我们能够完全修复我们的AFM设置，并在UBC重新建立这个最先进的研究设施。这种完全修复的原子力显微镜设置将恢复我们在单分子力谱领域进行一些最先进测量的能力，所获得的知识将显着促进我们对单分子水平蛋白质折叠机制的理解，以及合理设计使用自下而上的方法具有定制机械性能的生物材料。