MRI: Acquisition of an Atomic Force Microscope for Bioengineering and Life Science Research Across Multiple Scales: Molecules, Polymers, Microbes, and Cells

0922901 CamesanoWPI的研究人员从五个学术部门寻求一种新的低噪声AFM（庇护MFP-3D-BIO），这是面向生物应用。原子力显微镜提供了检查生物分子和结构的全光谱的能力，范围从皮科到微米尺度。本文的工作目标是：1.识别控制生物分子和结构的功能和相互作用的picoNewton和nanoNewton力，导致生物工程和生命科学研究的变革性发展。这些项目跨越一系列规模，包括-分子，大分子和聚合物水平：a）研究微观结构的弹性特性（如细丝、螺旋带和小管）; B）表征构成围绕活细胞的细胞外基质的胶原纤维之间的纳米机械相互作用; c）定量细菌表面上生物聚合物的间距和延伸;和d）测量液晶、聚合物和蛋白质膜的厚度; -微生物水平：a）监测炭疽芽孢杆菌孢子的细胞壁如何由于抗微生物肽的作用而分解;和B）研究细菌-线虫相互作用，例如鼠疫菌鼠疫耶尔森氏菌如何仅在C. - 细胞水平：a）确定C. elegans;和B）测量控制尿路病原性细菌粘附到膀胱上皮细胞的力。 2.为WPI社区的生物相互作用的定量研究提供研究基础设施，促进PI之间合作提案的发展，并允许研究生和本科生研究项目的联合监督。新的AFM将位于一个跨学科的研究设施，生命科学和生物工程中心（LSBC），这是WPI的研究和研究生教育在生命科学和生物工程的焦点。拟议的仪器采购将为研究生和本科生提供更好的培训机会，并通过向中学教师提供新AFM的研究机会，为K-12推广做出贡献。研究与教育的整合是WPI学生体验的基石。所有WPI的高年级学生完成为期一年的高级论文，通常在教师和研究生的指导下在研究实验室。这种新的原子力显微镜将有助于支持来自科学和工程领域不同学科的学生多学科团队的兴趣的项目的开发。

0922901CamesanoWPI researchers from five academic departments seek a new low-noise AFM (Asylum MFP-3D-BIO) which is geared towards biological applications. The AFM provides the ability to examine a full spectrum of biological molecules and structures, ranging from the pico- to micron scale. The goals of the proposed work are to: 1. Identify picoNewton and nanoNewton forces that control function and interaction of biological molecules and structures, leading to transformative developments in bioengineering and life science research. The projects span a range of scales, including - Molecular, macromolecular and polymer level: a) studying the elastic properties of microstructures (such as filaments, helical ribbons, and tubules) formed in the process of cholesterol crystallization in multi-component systems; b) characterizing nanomechanical interactions between collagen fibers that make up extracellular matrix surrounding living cells; c) quantifying the spacing and extension of biopolymers on a bacterial surface; and d) measuring the thickness of liquid crystal, polymer, and protein films; - Microbial level: a) monitoring how the cell walls of Bacillus anthracis spores break down due to action of antimicrobial peptides; and b) studying bacterial-nematode interactions, such as how the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis forms a biofilm only on the head region of C. elegans; - Cellular level: a) determination of surface morphology, elasticity, and adhesion properties of C. elegans; and b) measuring forces that control the adhesion of uropathogenic bacteria to bladder epithelial cells. 2. Provide a research infrastructure for the quantitative study of biological interactions for the WPI community, fostering the development of collaborative proposals among the PIs, and allowing for joint supervision of graduate and undergraduate research projects. The new AFM will be located in an interdisciplinary research facility, the Life Science and Bioengineering Center (LSBC), which is the focal point for WPI's research and graduate education in life science and bioengineering. The proposed instrument acquisition will provide enhanced training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, and to contribute to K-12 outreach by providing research exposure on the new AFM to middle-school teachers. The integration of research with education is the cornerstone of the WPI experience for students. All WPI seniors complete a year-long senior thesis, usually in a research lab under the mentorship of faculty and graduate students. This new AFM will be instrumental in allowing the development of projects supporting the interests of multidisciplinary teams of students from different disciplines within science and engineering.