Particle Analyzer for Nanotechnology Applications

大流行凸显了迫切需要开发基于纳米技术的新型疫苗和测试。为此，需要新的纳米材料。该领域研究的基石是阐明纳米系统的物理化学性质，特别是尺寸和表面电荷的测量，使用zetasizer。我们需要一个新的zetasizer来取代一个老化的仪器，这个仪器被大量使用，是萨斯喀彻温大学唯一的这种仪器。尺寸和表面电荷测量基于光散射，这是唯一提供定量高分辨率数据的技术。评估纳米结构大小和形态的替代方法，如高分辨率电子或原子力显微镜和荧光显微镜不能提供定量数据；需要昂贵的仪器；是低吞吐量；并且需要处理可能改变其原生行为的样本。此外，这些替代技术都不适合测量表面电荷。我们的研究团队由六名研究人员组成，主要研究领域包括新型生物材料的开发、核酸和蛋白质的纳米载体工程、疫苗的开发以及医疗设备功能的改进。所有这些领域都严重依赖于zetasizer的使用，以优化各种应用的纳米结构的组成和性能，并建立结构-功能/活性关系。我们隶属于三个研究团体：药物发现和开发研究小组，疫苗和传染病组织和生物医学工程。我们使用该仪器的工作导致了许多会议演讲和受邀演讲，并在高影响力期刊上发表了200多篇文章。zetasizer在促进我们团队成员和其他研究人员之间的合作方面发挥了重要作用。这也是一个共同的元素，使HQP能够接触和学习彼此的项目并开始对话。迄今为止，我们的团队已经培训了70多名HQP，他们在他们的研究项目中使用了zetasizer。我们学科领域的多样性对于培养HQP来说是无价的，这些HQP在多学科领域发展了广泛的专业知识，包括制药科学、化学、兽医科学、疫苗学和工程学。在培训期间，我们的HQP阐明了纳米材料的基本特性，如尺寸和表面电荷，并获得了设计新的输送系统和疫苗以及设计新的医疗设备的市场技能。

The pandemic heightened the need to urgently develop new nanotechnology-based vaccines and tests. For this, new nanomaterials are required. The cornerstone of research in this area is the elucidation of physicochemical properties of nanosystems, specifically size and surface charge measurements, using a zetasizer. We require a new zetasizer to replace an aging instrument that is heavily utilized and is the only instrument of this kind at the University of Saskatchewan. Size and surface charge measurement are based on light scattering, the only technology that provides quantitative high-resolution data. Alternative methods for assessing the size and morphology of nanostructures, such as high-resolution electron or atomic-force microscopy and fluorescent microscopy do not provide quantitative data; require expensive instrumentation; are low throughput; and require processing of samples that might alter their native behaviour. Moreover, none of these alternative techniques is suitable to measure surface charge. Our team of six investigators conducts research in the areas of development of new biomaterials, engineering nanocarriers for nucleic acids and proteins, development of vaccines, and improvement of function of medical devices. All these areas rely heavily on the use of a zetasizer to optimize composition and properties of nanostructures for a variety of applications and establish structure-function/activity relationships. We belong to three research communities: Drug Discovery and Development Research Group, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, and Biomedical Engineering. Our work with the instrument has resulted in numerous conference presentations and invited talks and more than 200 publications in high-impact journals. The zetasizer has been instrumental in catalyzing collaborations among our team members and other researchers. It is also a common element enabling HQP to be exposed to and learn from each other's projects and start conversations. To date, our team has trained over 70 HQP who used the zetasizer in their research projects. The diversity of our areas is invaluable for training HQP who develop broad expertise in multidisciplinary fields, including pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, veterinary sciences, vaccinology, and engineering. During their training, our HQP elucidate the basic properties of nanomaterials such as size and surface charge and gain marketable skills to engineer new delivery systems and vaccines, and design new medical devices.