Collaborative Research: IIBR Instrumentation: The Nanosizer - A new tool for the preparation of arbitrary bioactive surfaces

西北大学和纽约城市大学被授予一项奖项，以开发一种能够合成任意3D生物活性材料纳米颗粒的仪器，被命名为“Nanosizer”。该仪器的开发、仪器本身和新开发的光化学将对受训者、附近的芝加哥和纽约市社区以及更广泛的科学界产生广泛的影响。Mirkin和Braunschweig团队以前都曾指导学员，包括本科生、研究生和博士后研究员，指导他们设计实验和交流技能。重要的是，研究人员将领导实验工作，并与私人投资机构密切合作，通过高影响力的出版物、专利、赠款报告和会议演示来传播结果。了解研究过程的各个方面将为受训人员提供最高的成功机会，这一点从两组人在学术和工业就业方面的记录中得到了证明。邻近的芝加哥和纽约社区将通过参与外联努力从该奖项中受益。Braunschweig团队将参加材料科学的研究实习，Mirkin成员将在您的社区中心为Science做志愿者，目标是让K-12学生，主要是那些来自传统上代表性较低的群体的学生，参与科学和技术领域。通过原位表面图案化和完全正交的生物大分子结构，纳米尺寸器将使具有100 nm分辨率的生物活性大分子的任意3D纳米模型成为现实。通过具有100 nm像素分辨率的束笔式光刻、精确的多波长照射控制和可变试剂流的连续流动相结合，Nanosizer将能够在1平方厘米的面积内控制任何100 nm像素的反应条件。这与用于表面功能化和生物分子合成的正交光化学的发展相结合，将使生物分子阵列的大规模并行生成成为可能，每个像素包含一个化学上独特且定义明确的分子。涂覆了生物活性材料的合成界面在生物学的几乎所有领域都有筛选和功能应用。Nanosizer将在批次之间的重现性、分辨率大小、特征密度、特征数量和制备此类基片的总成本方面提供巨大的改进。这些研究的结果将发表在同行评议的期刊上，在科学会议上提交，通过商业化广泛传播，并纳入外展演示文稿。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to Northwestern University and the City University of New York to develop an instrument capable of synthesizing arbitrary 3D nanopatterns of biologically active materials, coined “the Nanosizer.” The development of said instrument, the instrument itself, and the new photochemistry developed, will have wide reaching impacts on trainees, the nearby Chicago and New York City communities, and the broader scientific community. Both Mirkin and Braunschweig groups have previously and will continue to mentor trainees, including undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, on the design of experiments and communication skills. Importantly, the researchers will lead the experimentation effort and work closely with the PIs on the dissemination of results through high-impact publications, patents, grant reports, and conference presentations. Exposure to all aspects of the research process will provide trainees with the highest probability of success on their paths forward, as proven by the track record of academic and industrial job placement from the two groups. The neighboring Chicago and New York communities stand to benefit from the award, through participation in outreach endeavors. Braunschweig group will participate in the Research Internships in Materials Science and Mirkin members will volunteer with Science In your Community Center with the goal of engaging K-12 students, primarily those from traditionally underrepresented groups, in science and technology. The Nanosizer will make arbitrary 3D nanopatterns of biologically active macromolecules with 100 nm resolution a reality through in situ surface patterning and fully orthogonal biomacromolecule construction. Through a combination of beam-pen lithography with 100 nm pixel resolution, precise multiwavelength irradiation control, and continuous flow of variable reagent streams, the Nanosizer will enable control over the reaction conditions at any 100 nm pixel over a 1 cm2 area. This, in conjunction with the development of orthogonal photochemistries for surface functionalization and synthesis of biomolecules, such as oligopeptides, oligonucleotides, and glycans, will enable the massively parallel generation of biomolecule arrays, with each pixel containing a chemically unique and well-defined molecule. Synthetic interfaces coated with biologically active materials have screening and functional applications in nearly every field of biology. The Nanosizer will provide monumental improvements in batch-to-batch reproducibility, resolution size, feature density, feature quantity, and overall cost in the preparation of such substrates. Results from these studies will be published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at scientific meetings, broadly distributed through commercialization, and incorporated into outreach presentations.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.