Optical tensiometer for biological and materials science research

我们的科学家和工程师团队(2名共同申请者和7名合作者/主要用户)正在紧急申请资金，用于关键更换我们的光学张力计，以替换故障仪器，该仪器增强了我们的创新生物和材料科学研究，并确保位于康科迪亚新的最先进的应用科学中心的纳米科学研究中心(CENSR)的表面表征设施继续保持卓越。多功能光学张力计可用于悬挂式和固定式下滴模式，处理液-气、液-液和液-固界面，以及屈服参数，包括动态表面张力、吸附动力学、膨胀表面流变学、静态和动态接触角、表面润湿性、能量和粗糙度，该仪器将是加拿大首批此类尖端仪器之一。共同申请人有良好的合作研究记录，将光学张力计作为工具箱的一部分，以调查空气中各种物质(包括空气污染物、挥发添加剂和气雾剂制剂)对肺表面活性物质功能特性的影响。吸入外来物种的第一道防线。与指定的合作者一起，光学张力计将支持广泛的研究，包括在生物物理化学、药物输送、环境污染物、水收集、能量捕获、储存和运输、分子电子学和传感器方面的应用。该仪器将免费提供给CENSR和魁北克先进材料中心的用户，从而接触到整个区域的广泛用户基础。该技术具有基本接触角和高级张力测量模式，可供从本科生到博士后水平的各种HQP研究人员使用，并将有助于培养下一代材料科学家和工程师，为从质量控制、电子、航空航天和汽车到环境科学、生物医学设备和传感器等不同行业的学术和工业职位做准备。

Our team of scientists and engineers (2 co-applicants and 7 collaborators/major users) is urgently requesting funds for the critical replacement of our optical tensiometer to replace a failed instrument that enhances our innovative biological and materials science research and to ensure the continued excellence of the surface characterization facilities at the Centre for NanoScience Research (CeNSR) in Concordia's new state-of-the art Applied Science Hub. The versatil optical tensiometer can be used in pendant and sessile drop modes, address liquid-air, liquid-liquid and liquid solid interfaces, and yield parameters including dynamic surface tension, adsorption kinetics, dilatational surface rheology, static & dynamic contact angles, surface wettability, energy and roughness and the instrument would be one of the first such cutting edge instruments in Canada.  The co-applicants have a strong record of collaborative research employing optical tensiometry as part of a toolbox to investigate the impact of airborne species (including airborne pollutants, vaping additives and aerosol drug formulations) on the functional properties of pulmonary surfactant, the first line of defence to inhaled foreign species.  Together with the named collaborators, the optical tensiometer will support a broad spectrum of research including applications in biophysical chemistry, drug delivery, environmental pollutants, water harvesting, energy capture, storage and transport, molecular electronics and sensors. The instrument will be made available, free of charge, to users in CeNSR and the Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials, thus reaching an extensive user base across the region. With both basic contact angle and advanced tensiometry modes, the technique can be employed by a wide-range of HQP from undergraduate to postdoctoral level researchers and will contribute to the training of the next-generation of materials scientists and engineers, ready for academic and industrial positions in diverse industries from quality control, electronics, aerospace and automotive to environmental science, biomedical devices and sensors, to name just a few.