Research Initiation Award: Development and Evaluation of Biomimetics Antibiotic Surface

研究启动奖为传统黑人学院和大学的初级和中期职业教师提供支持，他们正在建立新的研究项目或重新指导和重建现有的研究项目。期望该奖项有助于提高教师的研究能力和效率，改善所在机构的研究和教学，并使本科生参与研究经验。该奖项授予汉普顿大学在许多领域具有潜在的更广泛的影响。该项目的目标是在3D生成的聚醚醚酮（PEEK）结构上开发一种受蝉昆虫翅膀启发的仿生表面，以提供固有的抗菌性能。这项研究的结果可以对生物医学、化学和食品工业产生广泛的影响，这些行业都是细菌污染的关注点。本研究以大学生和高中生为研究对象。该项目将在定制的3D PEEK结构上开发纳米级的仿生表面，为聚合物提供杀菌和骨整合性能。该项目的具体目标是：开发和优化一种方案，以最少的工件打印定制的PEEK结构；确定在3D打印PEEK表面制备纳米柱的经济方法，并用骨蛋白因子对生成的纳米柱进行功能化；并对新改性表面的杀菌性能和骨整合性能进行了评价。这项工作的发现将提供更好的理解在纳米尺度上修饰表面的方法和机制，通过这种机制，细菌细胞在接触时被杀死，同时允许哺乳动物细胞在其上生长。该项目将与弗吉尼亚联邦大学合作进行。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Hampton University has potential broader impacts in a number of areas. The goal of this project is to develop a biomimetic surface inspired by cicada insect wings on the 3D generated polyether ether ketone (PEEK) structure to provide inherent antibacterial properties. The results of this research can have wide-ranging impact in the biomedical, chemical, and food industries where bacterial contamination is of concern. Undergraduate and high-school students are involved in this research. This project will develop a biomimetic surface at the nanoscale on a customized 3D PEEK structure for providing bactericidal and bone osseointegration properties to the polymer. The specific aims of this project are to: develop and optimize a protocol to print customized PEEK structure with minimum artifacts; identify an economical method to develop nano-pillars on the surface of the 3D printed PEEK and then functionalize the generated nano-pillars with bone protein factor; and evaluate the bactericidal and bone osseointegration properties of the newly modified surfaces. Findings from this work will provide a better understanding of ways to modify the surface at the nanoscale and mechanisms by which bacterial cells are killed on contact while allowing the mammalian cells to grow on them simultaneously. This project will be conducted in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.