Collaborative Research: The interaction of surfaces structured at the nanometer scale with the cells in the physiological environment

这是德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校和贝勒医学院的合作项目。合作研究项目的目标是了解纳米材料与较大材料相比如何影响细胞活动。在这方面，PIS将研究纳米材料的物理和化学因素对细胞黏附和扩散以及蛋白质合成的影响。研究小组提出，纳米材料表面具有高表面能，这有助于细胞更好地附着和生长，并促进不同蛋白质的形成。了解纳米材料和细胞之间的物理和化学相互作用将推动纳米技术在医学植入领域的发展。研究小组将制定一项纳米科学教育发展计划，以促进德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校和贝勒医学院学生的培训、教育和学习机会，重点是代表性不足的学生。此外，高中学生和教师将与毕业生和本科生一起，从提高生活质量的角度获取纳米科学及其在医学植入物中的应用知识。研究项目的主要目标是从机制上了解纳米颗粒(NG)表面细胞活动相对于粗颗粒(CG)表面的有利调节。PIS将检验中心假设，即“与微尺度表面相比，纳米表面的物理和化学属性的相对影响有利于改变细胞骨架的机械敏感性。为了验证这一假设，私人投资机构计划实现三个具体目标。在第一个目标中，PI计划揭示纳米表面诱导的晶界能和表面能如何调节细胞黏附和生物功能的机制。在第二个目标中，PI计划检验这样一个假设，即纳米级高晶界能诱导的纳米颗粒表面的电子性质的改变是导致高细胞黏附的原因机制。在第三个目标中，PI将检验这样一个假设，即细胞骨架的机械传感是调节纳米级纳米颗粒表面的黏附(吸引力)与附着的细胞黏附强度之间关系的关键机制。该研究项目将取得以下成果：(I)揭示纳米结构如何引起表面化学、表面能和电子功函数的变化，从而影响细胞功能的机制；(Ii)阐明纳米结构相对于微晶表面引起的晶界状态/能量的可测量变化的机制，以及这种机制如何调节细胞黏附和生物功能；(Iii)揭示高密度晶界与高晶界能之间的关系与纳米表面的电子性质之间的联系；(4)揭示纳米尺度表面的粘附力(吸引力)与表面的电子性质之间的关系，并从根本上了解这种机制将如何调节细胞的粘附性。该研究项目的更广泛的影响在于有可能阐明细胞-底物相互作用的潜在机制，这可能使工程表面的设计具有所需的物理和化学属性，从而产生所需的生物反应。这项研究更广泛影响的其他关键方面包括促进对细胞-纳米尺度表面相互作用的理解。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。

This is a collaborative project between the University of Texas at El Paso and Baylor College of Medicine. The objective of the collaborative research project is to understand how nanomaterials impact cellular activities in comparison to larger materials. In this regard, the PIs will investigate the influence of physical and chemical factors of nanomaterials in terms of adhesion and spread of cells and synthesis of proteins. The research team proposes that the nanomaterial surface has high surface energy, which is responsible for greater attachment and growth of cells and enhanced formation of different proteins. The understanding of physical and chemical interactions between nanomaterials and cells will promote nanotechnology in the field of medical implants. An educational development plan in nanoscience will be developed by the research team to promote training, education and learning opportunities for students at the University of Texas at El Paso and Baylor College of Medicine with a focus on underrepresented students. In addition, high school students and teachers working together with graduates and undergraduates will acquire knowledge of nanoscience and its application to medical implants from the viewpoint of improvements in the quality of life.The main objective of the research project is to acquire a mechanistic understanding of the favorable modulation of cellular activity on a nanograined (NG) surface in relation to coarse-grained (CG) counterpart. The PIs will test the central hypothesis that “the relative influence of physical and chemical attributes of nanoscale surface compared to the microscale counterpart favorably alters the mechanosensitivity of the cytoskeleton. To test this hypothesis, the PIs are planning three specific aims. In the first aim the PIs are planning to uncover the mechanisms that will explain how grain boundary energy and surface energy induced by the nanoscale surface modulate cell adhesion and biological functionality. In the second aim, the PIs plan to test the hypothesis that altered electronic properties of the nanoscale high grain boundary energy induced nano-grained surface is the causal mechanism responsible for mediating high cell adhesion. In the third aim, the PIs will test the hypothesis that mechanosensing of the cytoskeleton is a key mechanism that modulates the relationship between the adhesive (attractive) force of nanoscale nano-grained surface to the adhesion strength of attached cells. The research project will have the following outcomes: (i) uncover the mechanism that will explain how nanoscale structure induces changes in surface chemistry, surface energy and electron work functions, impacting cellular functionality; (ii) elucidate the mechanism that includes measurable changes in the grain boundary state/energy induced by the nanoscale structure in relation to the microcrystalline surface and how such mechanism would modulate cell adhesion and biological functionality; (iii) unravel the mechanism that links the relationship between high density of grain boundaries with high grain boundary energy to the electronic properties at the nanoscale surface; (iv) uncover the relationship between the adhesive (attractive) force of the nanoscale surface to the electronic properties of the surface and provide fundamental understanding of how such mechanisms would regulate the adhesion of cells. The broader impact of the research project lies in the potential to elucidate mechanisms underlying cell-substrate interactions which could potentially enable design of engineered surfaces with desired physical and chemical attributes leading to desired biological responses. Other key aspects of broader impact of this research include advancing the understanding of cell-nanoscale surface interactions. This could potentially facilitate the fabrication of nanoscale patterning of substrates and the development of innovative nanotechnology devices for applications in fields such as biological micro-electromechanical devices and microfluidics.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.