CAREER: Understanding Robustness of Cellular Organization in Escherichia Coli through Nanofabricated Environments

本项目探讨细胞组织的稳健性，特别是染色体和大肠杆菌的细胞分裂装置。工程微制造和纳米制造环境将用于物理约束细胞和控制它们的化学环境。荧光和超分辨率显微镜技术，结合定量图像分析，将用于研究染色体的局部和宏观结构域水平组织，以及在各种受限细胞形状和化学环境下细胞分裂蛋白的组装。这些研究将促进我们对维持细胞组织及其潜在稳健性的机制的理解。更广泛的影响。除了推进纳米制造的设计原则外，该项目还将为研究生、本科生和高中生提供培训机会。该项目还将吸引旨在成为STEM学科科学研究教师的本科生，并将通过田纳西路易斯斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟项目为代表性不足群体的学生提供研究经验。该奖项由细胞动力学和功能以及生命系统物理学项目共同资助

This project explores the robustness of cellular organization, specifically the chromosome and the cell division apparatus of the bacterium E. coli. Engineered micro-fabricated and nano-fabricated environments will be used to physically constrain cells and control their chemical environment. Techniques of fluorescence and super-resolution microscopy, combined with quantitative image analysis, will be used to study local and macro-domain level organization of chromosomes, and the assembly of cell division proteins in a variety of constrained cell shapes and chemical environments. These studies will advance our understanding of the mechanisms that maintain cellular organization and their underlying robustness.Broader Impacts. In addition to advancing design principles for nanofabrication, this project will provide training opportunities for graduate, undergraduate and high school students. This project will also engage undergraduate students who aim to become teachers of STEM disciplines in scientific research, and it will provide research experiences for students from under-represented groups through the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program.This award is co-funded by the Programs in Cellular Dynamics and Function and the Physics of Living Systems